


West of Westeros

by The_Snarkivist



Series: The Stark sisters find love [2]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternating Perspectives, Arya Stark gets to be a goofball sometimes, BAMF Arya Stark, BAMF Yara Greyjoy, Desert Island, Emotional Hurt/Comfot, F/F, Femslash, First time lesbian sex, Hurt/Comfort, Pirates, Romantic Fluff, characters acting in non-canon ways, milder than canon violence, minor character death alluded to
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:09:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 27,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26792653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Snarkivist/pseuds/The_Snarkivist
Summary: She had no idea where she was going, just away. Maybe she would sail the seas forever? Maybe she would ask them to drop her off on a deserted island and live as a hermit for the rest of her days? It didn't really matter as long as she was far away from war, from people grasping for power, from anything that resembled a throne at all.______________Both Arya and Yara leave Westeros not really looking for anything but they find each other
Relationships: Yara Greyjoy/Arya Stark
Series: The Stark sisters find love [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1943944
Comments: 8
Kudos: 21





	1. Regret and Storms

**Author's Note:**

> This is in the same series as Queen of the North but you don't need to read that one first (but like, you could read it?) - basically Sansa and Brienne are an established couple in this story. 
> 
> This doesn't acknowledge any of the books - the characters are based on the tv show and even then I took a lot (probably too many?) liberties with them.

_ Arya _

Arya scanned the horizon. Blue water as far as the eye could see. They had been sailing for a week now and, after a few days of the coasts of the Seven Kingdoms passing them, they had gotten to the open water. Westeros was just a blurry dot on the horizon.

"Good." Arya thought. The farther away she could get from that accursed land, the better. This country had brought her nothing but pain. She shivered as she thought of the massacre of King's Landing. Fire, ashes, the smell of burning flesh and the sound of agonizing screams.

If she never saw another human again frankly it would be too soon. If only she could do all the many tasks required to sail a ship she wouldn't even need to have a crew on this boat. She mostly avoided them. She kept to her cabin and when she needed air she fixed such a sour expression on her face that no one dared to approach. 

She also did nothing to correct all the wild tales told about her: that she single-handedly killed all of House Frey (which happened to be true), that she ripped the Night King apart with her bare hands, that she personally beheaded every single white walker. Some even said she threw the brick that killed Cersei. That would be slightly more probable than what actually happened she thought when that rumour made it to her. But the rumours kept the men away from her. And that was just how she liked it. 

She would miss Sansa, and maybe Jon. But mostly Sansa. But Sansa was going to be fine. She'd gotten a raven just before they had crossed the border out of Westeros. Sansa had written with great excitement about how Brienne was following her back to Winterfell and that they had declared their love for each other. Arya was so glad for her sister. But she was a little sad. There would never be an excited raven from Arya to Sansa with details of her great love. There would be no great love. And if she had her way, no people at all in her future. 

She had no idea where she was going, just away. Maybe she would sail the seas forever? Maybe she would ask them to drop her off on a deserted island and live as a hermit for the rest of her days? It didn't really matter as long as she was far away from war, from people grasping for power, from anything that resembled a throne at all. 

_ Yara _

Yara stared out at the vast blue sea. Nothing. Nothing at all. Only some uninhabited atolls to the west. Why had she felt like this voyage was so important after all? Over the last few weeks the Iron Islands had only reminded her of her terrible uncle. She was sick of the comments the men were making about how she had needed her brother to rescue her and how she didn't have what it took to rule. Probably she should have stayed to fight and to show them they were wrong. But what if they weren't? 

Euron was a pathetic excuse for a fighter but he had captured her ships, her, and those incredibly beautiful women from Dorn without even a second thought. Yara returned e again to thoughts of Ellaria Sand. Her gorgeous olive skin, silky soft hair, and deep seductive eyes. That she had never gotten to see Ellaria naked was one of Yara's greatest disappointments. There was also the matter that Ellaria had most likely died in some gruesome and painful manner because Yara hadn't been able to protect her. It burned. What a waste of a gorgeous woman. Yara hadn't really felt anything for her beyond lust and admiration, she didn't think she was really capable of more than that with anyone, but the guilt of leading Ellaria and so many others to their deaths was overwhelming.

Ordinarily she would bury her feelings in a bevy of comely serving girls and ale but both were in very short supply on this boat. She had been unable to convince any of her regular casual partners to come on this trip. And frankly, she didn't blame them. Who would want to be trapped on the ocean with a bunch of gross horny men and one moderately attractive - she thought - even hornier woman? Why couldn't she have decided to take her voyage of grief in a far off whorehouse she thought, not for the first time.

She kicked the side of the boat in frustration and looked up to the sun. Only a few more hours till the men would let her have her daily ration of liquor. After her attempts to drink away her guilt the first night the ship's doctor had explained that alcohol on the ship was a finite resource that was to be shared amongst the crew. 

"If you want to drink yourself to death, you should have stayed on land," he'd finished with. 

If it hadn't been Gregor who had known her since she was a baby, she would have done some serious violence to his person.

Yara scanned the horizon again, she had the start of a creeping bad feeling. She sniffed the air. Definitely. A storm was definitely coming.

*******************

"No, you asshole, I am NOT drunk. You fuckers don't let me drink till 4 o'clock." Yara spat out. 

"There isn't a cloud in the blooming sky and you're asking me to believe that a huge big storm is coming?"

"I can smell it. It is coming as sure as the sun rises in the morning and we won't survive it if we don't head for one of those bays and put down anchor." She wanted to scream. 

Why had she agreed to travel with a crew who, with the exception of a few men, didn't know her and who she didn't know? Again she cursed herself for wanting to be away from it all. Why couldn't she just go on a bender closer to home?

"Oooohh you can smell it. Well... the lady has a fancy nose so let's just stray miles off our course cuz she don't like the smell of the sea."

Yara made herself as tall as she could and stared the first mare directly in the face. 

"Look you ignorant asshole. I am a Greyjoy of the Iron Islands. We are born sailors. It's in our blood. I know when a storm is coming. And if you don't change course for shelter  _ right  _ this minute I will rip off your balls and shove them down your throat!" 

She kept her voice calm and even but deadly serious. She had found when uttering threats, they were much more believable if they were conveyed with calm confidence as opposed to being screamed.

"Whatever, it's a waste of time and way off our course but if that's what the lady wants, she shall have it."

"I ain't no lady." Yara growled and stalked off towards her cabin.

_ Arya _

Almost out of nowhere storm clouds blew up. Panic roiled in Arya's stomach. They were in completely open water with nowhere to seek shelter.

"Lady Stark," a small voice said. She turned to see a terrified looking sailor. "You should best get below, it's a foul storm coming," he squeaked.

"It's just Arya, I am not a lady." She realized that sounded harsh, "and thank you. I will go now."

This was not good. The sailors scurried about in a haphazard way that suggested inexperience. As she climbed down below the deck to the cabin she cursed herself for not choosing a better crew. 

The preparations had all been a blur. All she had thought about was getting away from Westeros as quickly as possible. This crew was leaving the soonest. She should have waited and asked around for the most experienced crew. But the thought of talking to anyone had seemed impossible. And now she was paying for it.

Down below the boat was oddly still. But it was only a matter of time. She paced back and forth in her cabin trying to think about what to do.

_ Yara _

Yara awoke, there was sun streaming into her cabin. Scratching her head she tried to reconstruct the events of the storm. They had made it to the atoll and were securing the boat when the storm clouds appeared. It wasn't long before the winds and lashing rain started. 

She would like to say she reacted in a dignified manner and didn't point out that she had been right. But alas she was not a good person. There was a lot of gloating. Before the wind drown out her spite and they all had to rush about securing the sails. The storm hit them but it was nothing compared to what was going on on the open water. Yara shuddered to think of any vessels out there.

****************

They had resumed their course and sailed on when Yara spotted something floating ahead and to the right. It looked like refuse wood from a smashed boat. But there was something else... A body!

"Starboard! Rescue needed!" Yara shouted. The men all groaned.

"After that storm, it's probably a corpse."

"If they are alive they can swim to us."

"Not our problem."

Yara's mild irritation with the crew for belittling her and their rules was rapidly turning into rage.

"Fuck you, you lazy bastards," she growled as she went to the landing boat. "If you assholes won't go, I will rescue whoever that is."

The men reluctantly lowered the small boat and Yara climbed down, detached it and angrily began to row towards the mystery object. The closer she got the more human the shape appeared. The person seemed to be clutching on to the refuse wood. Their head was down, resting on the wood, but they didn't seem to be dead. Yara was almost there when she noticed with alarm that slowly the figure was losing their grip. And then they let go. Yara jumped up and without even thinking about it dove into the water after the figure.

She grabbed at the slowly sinking body and pulled it to her. Surfacing she swam them back to her small boat. She hadn't really thought this through but had enough strength to heft the body half onto the boat and pull herself up and onto it. 

Then she pulled the body into the boat and put her (because to her surprise she could see it was a her) on her side and began to try to help the figure breathe. She pumped her chest and breathed into her mouth until the girl sputtered and coughed out the water in her lungs. She seemed in a daze, no doubt from floating out in the hot sun for most of the day since the storm. But she was alive. Yara left her and went to the oars to row back to the ship. 

"Where... Who... What happened?" a small scratchy voice said. 

There hadn't been time to bring water or blankets so that would have to wait till they reached the boat.

"You were floating in the ocean. Did you boat get caught in the storm?" 

"Uh... yes... the crew... I should have waited... a bunch of amateurs." The girl seemed upset, naturally. 

"It's ok. You're safe now. I'm taking you to my ship." 

"Thank you..." 

The girl curled up. She seemed to be alright, fine enough till Gregor could look at her. The girl, waterlogged as she was, looked very familiar. Yara had definitely seen her before, but she couldn't place her. 


	2. What Are You Doing Here?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arya wakes up on Yara's boat. Goofiness ensues...

Arya

Arya woke up in a strange bed. She had no idea where she was. She felt the gentle movement of the ocean. This didn't look like her cabin. Then it came back to her. The storm. The way the waves crashed into the boat and tossed it around. The huge crack as the water twisted and bent the boat. Fleeing into the water and grabbing onto some of the refuse. She had gripped the wood so hard, floating in the daylight far away from the wreckage of the ship. 

Were there other survivors? She didn't know. She just clutched the floating wood. Until she couldn't, it just seemed too hard. She had given up. It seemed easier to give up and let go of life than to keep fighting. Always fighting. All her life she had fought and in the water, holding onto splinters from the wrecked ship, she couldn't see the point anymore. So she let go. 

But then, strong arms grabbed her, embraced her, brought her back. Some one had thought it was worth it, worth fighting still. And now here she was, in a strange bed, in what looked like an infirmary. Who had saved her? It was all hazy and confused. 

The door opened and a portly older man with a kind face walked in. Had he rescued her? No her rescuer had seemed smaller, younger. 

"Oh, you're awake! How are you feeling? You've had quite the last few days."

"I... uhhh... yes... I'm okay?" She wasn't quite sure herself.

"Here." The man handed her a goblet. "It's water. You're still a little parched. You must have spent a lot of the day in the sun. You should rest some more." 

She drank the water, it was cold and refreshing. 

"Thank you." 

She had so many questions: where was she? Who was he? Who's ship was it? Where was it going? But she had no energy to ask those questions. She was so tired. She curled up and sleep took her again.

****************************

When she awoke again she realized she wasn't alone. Sitting up she scanned the room and saw a sleeping figure in a chair near her bed. The figure appeared - despite masculine clothing - to be a woman. She was sleeping so that her long lanky dirty blonde hair covered her face. Arya was sure she had seen this woman before. As if sensing Arya's eyes on her, the figure twitched and lifted her head. 

"How are you feeling? Do you need anything?" The woman asked, concerned. And then a look of recognition dawned on both of their faces.

"Yara Greyjoy?"

"Arya Stark?" 

"What are you doing here? Or am I back in Westeros?" 

"No this is west of there. How did you end up out here? Were you trying to sail during a storm or some fool thing?" 

Yara seemed just as haughty and arrogant as ever. Arya supposed there could be worse people in Westeros whose ships she could have ended up on, but Yara had always irritated her. She hated the way Yara seemed perfectly content to hand Jon Snow over to the Unsullied and had the gall to maintain her loyalty to.... that woman. And now she was judging Arya without even knowing her. 

"My ship... well it wasn't my ship. The ship I was on. The crew was very inexperienced and the storm took us by surprise. We can't all be star sailors like you, " she added petulantly. 

Yara gave her an annoyed look. "Where were you going? Why were you on the ship with inexperienced idiots?" 

Arya stiffened. The questions were rude and invasive, she didn't want to have to tell Yara her personal business.

"First of all, they may not be geniuses like you but those were people, with families, and people who care about them. And now they are all dead. So I'll thank you to not call them idiots. And not that it's any of your business but I am heading West of Westeros," she said noncommittally. "Just to see what's there." 

"Well idiots or not, never navigate vast open water with an inexperienced crew." Was Yara gloating? Arya was suddenly longing for that floating piece of wood again. It had better conversational skills. 

"Well I know that now. But thanks for the completely unhelpful advice. I'll keep that in mind if I ever get away from your rude face and find another boat." 

Yara rolled her eyes. "You're such a brat." 

Before she could stop herself Arya stuck her tongue out at Yara. It was a ridiculous and immature thing to do but if Yara was going to call her a brat, why not act it?

Yara looked surprised for a moment and then burst into laughter. Surprisingly, for such a gruff person, Yara's laugh was charmingly open. And infectious. Arya joined in and laughed till her sides ached. She couldn't remember the last time she laughed like this. But perhaps it was a bit too strenuous after her close call. She felt dizzy, "Ouf" she groaned as she lay back down on the bed. 

"Oh no, are you alright?" Yara rushed to her side and gently felt her forehead. "You might still have some nausea from yesterday." She looked at Arya with concern. "I'll get you some fresh water." The gruffness returned to her voice and she rushed out of the room. 

Arya stared up at the ceiling. Being shipwrecked into Yara Greyjoy's boat was not what she imagined when she set out on her voyage. How was she going to get out of this? Maybe she could convince Yara to drop her off on an uninhabited island somewhere? Would Yara want some kind of payment? She had no way to pay Yara except for as an assassin. There was probably *someone* Yara wanted dead. 

Yara

She had wished for another woman on the ship....

"I should have been more specific," Yara thought to herself. 

Like about her age. And if she was going to scoop a shipwrecked Stark sister out of the water then she should have asked for the hot one. But then again Yara thought about the one and only time she had spoken with the very-much-spoken-for Sansa. Yara didn't like her chances in a fight with Brienne. But neither did she want to - or think she could - break up such a happy couple. The looks that passed between the elder Stark sister and that fabulously sexy Giantess did not leave any room for an interloper.

She shook her head to try to dislodge thoughts of Sansa and focus on her younger and brattier sister. She supposed she'd have to find somewhere to drop Arya off. There didn't seem to be any inhabited islands nearby. So she would have to put up with Arya for awhile longer.

* * * * * * *

"Right then. I brought some grub." Yara brought a steaming bowl of stew to Arya. "You up to eating?"

Arya had been sleeping and her hair was charmingly mussed. She sat up and stretched which turned into a yawn. She didn't have her sister's cold beauty but Yara found she couldn't look away. There was something there. Something intriguing about Arya.

"Are you going to give me the food or just wave it in my face while you stare at me?" Arya snapped Yara out of her reverie.

"Oh! Uh sorry!"

She placed the bowl and tray beside Arya who grabbed it and began to eat quickly like she thought Yara would try to snatch the dish away from her.

"Slow down there, missy. Recon you'll give yourself stomach pains if you keep shoveling 'er in your mouth like that."

Arya glared up at her and chewed in an exaggeratedly slow fashion.

Yara sighed and rolled her eyes. She sat in the chair beside the bunk. "Guess you been a long time without food."

"I' m guessing you haven't been that long of a time without saying something obvious." Arya said between mouthfuls. 

Yara rolled her eyes. "Tell me again how you killed the Night King? Did you annoy him to death?" 

As soon as the words were out, Yara regretted them. All of the mirth drained from Arya's face. She looked down at her stew. 

"Maybe you'd know how I killed him if you had been there." She said it quietly but with purpose. 

Yara saw the menace behind her girlish exterior. She felt Arya's words like a Valerian dagger plunged into her stomach. She turned away. 

"I wouldn't have been any help. Just like with those Sand girls, poor Ellaria. All I do is get people killed." 

"He," Arya sounded gentler, "its too much of a weight. All of those lives we couldn't save. It... Don't let it break you." 

Yara turned back around. Arya was finishing the stew. She wiped her mouth on her sleeve and then let out a fantastic belch. But she immediately covered her mouth and looked warily at Yara. Was she waiting to be reprimanded? Did she think Yara was her mother?

Yara, who to be honest was a bit charmed by Arya's utter lack of refinement, was not going to gratify Arya's need to rebel by chastising her table manners.

"You want more?"

"Maybe later. Am I ok to walk?" As she spoke Arya was moving the bowl aside and moving her legs to the side of the bunk.

"Dunno, why don't you try. If you fall flat on your face then I guess we'll know the answer."

Arya gave her a look that Yara guessed was supposed to be withering but the effect was ruined by her inability to suppress a laugh at Yara's comment. She swung her thin legs around and pushed herself to the edge of the bunk. Emboldened, she stood up too quickly and began to sway.

Yara jumped up and grabbed her before she tumbled onto the floor. Arya's height put her at about Yara's chest height which, as she lost her balance, resulted in face smacking right into Yara's cleavage. Ordinarily this could be the start to a fun evening. But under the circumstances there was nothing sexy about it.

Yara began to laugh. Then Arya started to laugh and became even less balanced. Yara went to settle Arya down on the bunk but lost her balance and ended up on top of Arya.

This caused both of them to laugh even harder. Yara rolled off of Arya but stayed lying on her side on the cot.

"So I guess you have your answer," Yara giggled. 

"But I didn't fall flat on the floor. I fell flat into your bosom."

"Excuse me? Did you just say 'bosom'? Are you my great-aunt Matilda??" 

Arya blushed bright red. "I dunno. It's not like I go around talking about women's chests all day. I don't know the terminology." 

"Well your loss. Women's chests are an excellent topic of conversation. Other body parts too." 

"Ugh," Arya said as she rolled her eyes. "You're such a horn dog."

"Horn dog? Bosoms? Arya, wherever did you learn to speak?"

This girl was too much. But Yara had never seen anyone who was reputedly so fierce - one of the toughest fighters in Westeros they said - be so goofy.

Arya good naturedly punched her in the arm. "Shut up you. Not my fault you don't have the latest slang in the Iron Islands."

Arya

The next day after several more meals Arya was starting to get restless. When Yara came to see her with lunch she decided it was time to get back on her feet.

" I'm going to walk now." She left no room for argument.

"OK. Let me know if you need my arm." Yara stood by the bunk. She was far enough away to make Arya feel independent but close enough to step in.

Slowly Arya rose. She stood for a moment and willed her legs to hold her up. She felt a moment of uncertainty in her legs. Yara seeing her wobble held out her hand. Arya clasped it and felt so much stronger. Then, still gripping Yara's hand, she centred herself she took one step and then another. Then she took several more. She grinned at Yara. Yara looked back questioningly and Arya nodded. Yara eased her hand away and Arya took a slow and determined step by herself. And again she followed that with several more confident steps.

"Bed-bound no more!" She hooted and Yara smiled back.

"Right, monster slayer: time to wash up and then meet the crew."

* * * * * * *

Arya stood and squinted in the sun. It was so bright after days in semi darkness.

"Alright you scurvy bunch of shits."

Arya was impressed by how much Yara's tone meant business.

Yara continued, "this is our guest Arya Stark."

"Oh! Fresh meat." Some asshole in the back had yelled.

Yara's eyes turned to fire.

"If any of you poxy shit bags so much as *thinks* about bothering or laying a hand on this woman you will regret it. I will not hold her back and I will not step in to protect you from whatever it is she does to you in self-defense."

"I heard she single-handedly beheaded all the Freys!" said a voice from the crowd.

"I heard she killed all the White Walkers with her bare hands!" said another.

"I heard she threw the brick that killed Cersei." said a third voice.

"That's not true," said the first voice, "but it sure makes a lot more sense than what actually happened."

"Alright shut up you fucks. Arya is our guest and we will treat her with respect."

The men all seemed terrified. Arya wasn't sure if it was her or Yara they feared but she didn't really care so long as they left her alone. She had expected Yara to threaten the crew with violence if they bothered her. She was surprised though that Yara acknowledged Arya's strength by saying the violence would come from her.

Arya noticed how different Yara was around the crew. She was rough and harsh. None of them were treated to her sparkling smile or that infectious laugh. Arya was well aware of the reasons for this. Yara had a lot more practice with being in all male spaces and knew she had to be tougher than all of them to get along.

"So most of them are punks." Yara gestured to the men who were returning to their tasks. "But there's a few diamonds in the rough. Like Gregor who you met already." She pointed to the kindly looking old man who Arya assumed was the doctor. "I've known him since I was even younger than you."

"I'm not that young!" Arya protested. "I'm 20. And I've never had the luxury of a childhood."

"Alright. Calm down pip squeak! So you're not a kid."

"Pip squeak? And my language is weird??"

Yara threw her head back and laughed her throaty laugh. Arya had grown fond of that laugh and the way Yara's eyes sparkled when she was laughing. What initially struck Arya as arrogance she now saw as confidence that Yara wore to protect herself. 

But she also really understood the switching of identities that Yara did. There were many ways not to be seen, to be invisible, to be nobody. It occurred to her that both she and Yara spent a lot of time trying not to be seen. When she laughed she let her guard down a bit. Arya found she wanted to make Yara laugh was much as she could.

Yara

Yara stood on the deck and looked out to the sea. Still no sign of land. She was a bit relieved. Surely Arya would want to be dropped off at the nearest inhabited island so she could find another ship. And she was enjoying having another woman aboard.

To be honest, it wasn't just having another woman on the ship. It was having this specific woman here. She had developed a crush on Arya. She was so taken with her scrappy spirit and her capacity for silliness. She had heard a great many stories about Arya and none of them included how funny she was. She made jokes and would exaggerate her lack of table manners because she could tell Yara found it endearing. 

In the past, Yara had mostly been attracted to prim and proper women. She would always be on her best behaviour around them. She wouldn't swear or belch or make lewd comments. But this was different. Arya didn't seem to mind. Arya was not fancy but Yara was just as taken with her as she had been with the faciest ladies of Westeros. Their budding friendship wasn't exactly comfortable - not with how nervous Arya made Yara - but she didn't feel like Arya was judging her.

Yara sighed. This wasn't going to happen. She had heard whispers that Arya had lost her virginity the night before the Battle of Winterfell. The ungallant fucker had spread it around that his dick somehow had something to do with her being able to kill the Night King. Little shit. If she ever ran into him she would cut off his supposedly magic dick and throw it in his face.

Anyway, that meant Arya was probably, most-definitely, straight. And even if she wasn't the chances were very low that she'd want an old sea hag like Yara, she thought to herself. 

Then, Yara thought with a pang, had that little shit Gendry gotten to see Arya’s joking side. Had she done goofy things to make him laugh and then looked at him with that toothy grin, all proud of herself for it? Or had he seen other sides of Arya that Yara would never see? Like her romantic side? Did Arya have a romantic side? Yara shivered as she thought: what did Arya act like in bed? Which side came out then? She wanted to know so badly. But the fact that she was older than Arya and in this situation, as Captain of the ship, her superior it would be improper of her to make a move. 

“Hey Captain Head-in-the-Clouds! What are you day-dreaming about? Shouldn’t you be off swearing at the crew for their stupidity or fighting one of them to show off how tough you are?” 

Yara almost jumped. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she had failed to hear the approach of the star of said thoughts. Arya had mischief on her face. Recently when Arya got bored on the ship - which happened a lot - she would seek out Yara and try to annoy her. Arya didn’t realize that Yara lived for these moments. 

“Oh ha ha. I’m just day-dreaming of peace and quiet. Of ten minutes without a little pip squeak brat getting up in my face and irritating me.” 

Arya feigned offense. “Moi? I would never. I’m just a poor defenseless lady who is ever so grateful for being rescued.” Arya had put on a fake high pitched feminine accent. “I must take breaks from my embroidery to seek you out to show you my gratitude over and over again!” 

“Pfffttt. You’re no lady.” 

Yara hoped she sounded gruff and collegial. She hoped that what the mental image of how she’d like Arya to show her gratitude over and over again was doing to her nether regions did not come through in her tone.

“Ha!! Damn right I’m not!!” Arya smiled that toothy grin that Yara had come to depend on. 

Arya fixed her gaze out to the horizon and said without looking at Yara, “no land for ages.” 

“Are you anxious to get back to dry land?” Damnit she couldn’t keep the neediness out of her voice on that one.

Arya looked surprised and then thoughtful. “Oh no! Not at all. It’s just… I was so curious about what was West of Westeros.” She laughed softly to herself. “I had all these imaginings of lands with strange animals and people who… well who weren’t as horrible and blood-thirsty as the Westerosi. It was dumb really. Maybe it is all just water?” 

“I don’t know either. But… if there are people, what if they are just as bad - or worse - as Westeros? What if it’s just people that are terrible?” 

Arya looked at her so sadly but nodded. “I worry about that too. Part of me wanted to find an abandoned island and just live there by myself. Think of it: no having to prove your worth; no fighting off men who think you’re an easy victim; no funerals for people you love.” 

“But also, you know, no people you love…” Damnit, again with the neediness. This conversation was getting too serious. Yara was revealing too many things about herself. 

“That’s true.” Arya looked at her quizzically and then returned her gaze to the sea. 

"But I would just make friends with all of the animals. We would remake society. The bears would be the Knights. The owls would be the maesters because they are so smart. The deer would be cooks. Oh wait, no that wouldn't work with their hooves. Maybe the squirrels? The bees will be my advisors, I think. And wolves… What can the wolves do? Perhaps they can be in charge of making garments?" Arya looked so serious whilst she pondered all the animal roles.

"Have you gotten into the ship's supply of rum?" Yara could barely contain her laughter.

"Such disrespect for the Queen of the animals," Arya shook her head disappointedly. "I will get the sparrows to peck your eyes out for such treacherous insubordination."

Wait was Arya being serious? Had the sea gotten to her mind? 

“Uh...” Yara had no idea what to say. 

Arya just gave her a haughty superior look. “I’m off to tell the whales about your treason. They will go call the sparrows.” 

And she spun around and marched off. Yara was completely bewildered. Arya was joking, right? This was some jape that she’d just decided to play out longer than usual? Yara certainly hoped so. Should she worry that Arya had lost it?

Arya

Arya had planned to end the joke right there. Maybe roll her eyes and give Yara a good natured punch in the arm to show she was kidding. But after she said the bit about the sparrows and Yara had looked so confused she just had to keep going. It was just so much more funny when Yara thought she was serious. 

It was sort of like delayed gratification. The longer she waited to let Yara in on it, the more her anticipation of Yara’s response grew. Yara would probably throw her head back and cackle. Maybe she would lean forward and hold her stomach. Arya was starting to catalogue all the ways Yara responded to her jokes. She tried to match each reaction with the level of enjoyment of the joke. One time whilst eating Arya had said something ridiculous or perhaps made a funny face. Yara had just taken a drink of water and she laughed so hard she spit and got water up her nose. That had been a good day. 

Was this how other people reacted to the boredom of sea travel? Arya had never fancied herself a jester. Making people laugh had never been her thing. In fact, making others laugh was the exact opposite of what an invisible assassin was supposed to do. But Yara’s laughter and appreciation had become like a drug to her. She constantly sought it.

It was probably just part of their blossoming sisterly relationship, she thought. Except that was a total lie. There was nothing sisterly - in Arya’s mind - about this friendship. Arya loved and was fiercely protective of Sansa but she didn’t think of her first thing when she awoke in the morning. She didn’t get tingly butterflies in the pit of her stomach when she saw Sansa like she did when she turned a corner of the deck and saw Yara casually leaning on the ship’s hull with her flaxen hair gently dancing in the breeze. And she certainly didn’t have dreams about Sansa like the ones she had about Yara… 

Arya had never thought about sex particularly in the past. She’d mostly seen it as a weapon wielded by disgusting brutes against women in her family. But the night before the Battle of Winterfell it had suddenly seemed important that she not go to her death a virgin. In her mind she was going to her death. There didn’t seem to be any other path for her. It had been fine. Gendry was kind and gentle in a way she didn’t expect. 

But she didn’t really understand what the big deal about it was. Sex was built up in so many ways. The ways the ladies at court giggled and talked endlessly about sleeping with brave knights. And the ways the knights she knew boasted about conquests and talked about which whores were the best. And even the way her sister got all flustered and nervous and excited when she told Arya about certain developments in her relationship with Brienne. All of this chatter seemed strange to Arya because she couldn’t imagine obsessing over something that had not been unpleasant but had not been earth shaking either.

But then she lost her balance and fell into Yara’s chest. In her mind she started to think of it as “The Bosom Incident”. That action and the resulting related events which brought Yara on top of her on the bunk had made her reevaluate her feelings on coupling. And by reevaluate she meant it made her hornier than a cat in heat. That lust was directed at one person: Yara.

It hadn’t taken her much to admit to herself that she had feelings for Yara. She had no particular qualms about being interested in a woman. But what to do about that interest was another matter altogether. It was common knowledge that Yara only slept with women. But it would be offensive to assume that that would mean she would be interested in every woman. Yara had spoke about the reportedly gorgeous Ellaria Sand. If that was the kind of woman Yara went for then Arya didn’t stand a chance. And anyway, Arya didn’t see anything in Yara’s behaviour that would indicate any interest. It seemed Yara very much saw her as a sister. And saw her as an annoying but sometimes lovable kid sister at that. 

All of these thoughts made her long for her actual sister. Her relationship with Sansa had been complicated but it was really improving before she left. Sansa would have some advice about what to do about Yara. Although everything seemed so much easier for Sansa. It was clear to anyone who had eyeballs that Brienne was deeply smitten with her from the start - her flirtation with that golden handed sister-loving idiot aside - so Sansa probably never had to wonder. She probably never had to scour every single interaction they had for clues as to Brienne’s intentions the way that Arya did about Yara.

Well, if Yara saw her as a pesky kid sister; she could definitely fill that roll. If she couldn’t do anything more with her at least she could make her laugh. Arya used her faceless assassin skills to sneak up on Yara who was still at the deck looking out onto the ocean. 

“I spoke to the rats on the ship and you are in big trouble, ” Arya said, appearing beside Yara.

Yara jumped reflexively. 

“Umm…” 

She still looked so charmingly confused. 

Arya fixed Yara with her best royal glare. Yara was actually shaking a little bit. 

“They will be coming for you. You’ll be sorry when…” Arya exploded into laughter. She couldn’t keep the charade up anymore. “I’m sorry… It’s just… Your face. You looked so scared!” Arya managed to get out through fits of laughter.

“You. Little. Shit.” Yara was terrible at pretending to be angry but she was beginning to crack and her beautiful smile was breaking through. 

“Come on it was funny!” 

“Such a brat! It was pretty funny though.” Yara started to laugh. She doubled over, that was a good laugh. “You are a really good actress!” 

“Ha! You’re just a sucker.” 

“Oh shut up, pip squeak.” But Yara was grinning just as widely as Arya was. 

Suddenly it was as if a shadow fell across Yara’s face.

“Oh, Yara, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be a jerk.”

“No it’s not that.” Yara squinted off into the distance. “Something’s coming. Something bad.” She sniffed the air. “Yes, definitely something bad. Shit.”

“Another storm? Pirates?”

“I think so. I don’t know yet. It’s still far away.” Yara looked so worried.

Arya lightly touched her arm. 

“Is there anything we can do?” 

Yara shook her head and still stared out to sea. 

“Oy! Love birds! Dinner’s on.” One of the sailors yelled to them. 

Yara froze her frown turned to a look of panic. 

“Right. Dinner. Gotta go.” 

She rushed off toward the mess hall. 

“Seriously?” Arya thought. “Is she that horrified about someone assuming we’re together?” She slowly walked to the mess hall. 

When she got there she was about to walk in but heard some sailors talking. 

“Saw them getting all cozy on the desk, I did.” the first said.

“I dunno. I think you’re wrong. She don’t seem like Yara’s type, ” the second responded.

“She’s a girl, ain’t she?” The first sailor laughed a disgusting laugh.

“You’re a fucking moron. Just cuz Yara likes pussy don’t mean she wants to fuck just any girl. She’s got taste!” 

“Yeah,” a third chimed in. “You don’t know Captain Yara like we do. We sailed with her before. She likes ‘em fancy and good looking. With big ole titties. She don’t want no flat as a board little-boy-looking ugly thing with scars on her face who ain’t got no table manners.”

They all laughed. Arya lost her appetite. She turned and headed back to her chambers. She couldn’t bear to face Yara and all those disgusting laughing sailors. She knew they were right. There was nothing fancy or pretty about Arya. Yara thought she was funny and liked spending time with her but there was no attraction there. 

Arya hadn’t expected this to hurt so much. She was attracted to Yara and curious. But she didn’t think her feelings went deeper than that. Perhaps it was the affront of it. She felt sad and embarrassed for even thinking she had a chance. She went to her room but she felt restless so she grabbed Needle and headed for the far deck to practice her moves. 

Yara

Yara could not shake her feeling of uneasiness. But unlike with the storm, she couldn’t identify what was coming. Something from the water. Big, big trouble. So she didn’t say anything. But it disturbed her appetite.

She looked around and Arya was nowhere to be seen. Shit. Arya must have been freaked out by that fucking sailor’s insinuation. Was she afraid that Yara was hitting on her? Had she been too obvious with her crush? Fuck. This is what comes of having crushes on straight girls. She would have to act more sisterly in the future. 

"What's up my girl? You look like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders." Gregor smiled kindly at Yara. 

"Trouble's coming, Gory." 

"From the air or sea, my child?" 

Gregor always believed her. He'd known her too long to discount her intuition. 

"Sea probably. I think pirates but there's nothing on the horizon. The men won't believe me." 

"Maybe some will remember the storm? It's worth a try."

"Alright."

Yara stood up and banged her cup on the table. 

"Silence! I got something to say. Something is coming. I think it's pirates. We have to prepare." 

"That's crazy talk!" A sailor yelled back. 

"Ain't nobody else out here." 

"You're just trying to get us to stop drinking so there's more for you!" 

They all laughed uproariously at that comment. 

"Go play with your new girl toy and leave us be!" More laughter. 

"She's never been wrong before! I say we believe her." 

"Shut up, you pussy!" 

Fuck. This was what she got for employing non-Iron Islands sailors. They didn't know her or her famous intuition. Why had she come? But if she hadn't been here no one would have rescued Arya. She shuddered at the thought of Arya sinking to the bottom of the sea. 

"This isn't going to work," she said to Gregor. 

"Follow me if you want to prepare!" 

She strode out of the room followed by Gregor and only three other sailors. 

"Gregor, can you find Arya and tell her to come here?" 

***************

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I am a bit nervous about how my Arya comes across. She's very not canon in this. But I just really liked the idea that since Arya never really had a childhood what draws her to Yara is that she can be silly around her.


	3. Pirates!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arya and Yara are taken prisoner by pirates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter does have some violence (which is milder than most things on the show) and threat of sexual violence. But also a lot of silly conversations. And more anachronistic language.

_ Yara _

The ship speeding towards them was close and its crew had now raised their black sails. Yara, Arya, Gregor, and Elwynn, Florian and Charles, the three sailors, stood on the deck. The morning sun bathed the deck in golden light. The rest of the sailors were sleeping off a night of drinking. 

"Try to raise the men." Yara said to Elwynn. 

He ran below deck to the sleeping area. 

"Guns!" Yara shouted to Florian and Charles. They raced to the cannons on the ship but before they could do anything a cannonball from the approaching ship ripped into the side disabling them. 

Hungover men from the crew were emerging from the hull but they were all moving too slowly and caused more chaos than anything. 

Yara turned to Arya who was stone faced and determined. “Looks like this is down to us for hand-to-hand combat. I don’t like our chances very much." Arya nodded stoically. 

“Get below and hide, Gregor. If they capture you make sure you tell them you’re a doctor. Ships always need doctors.” 

Gregor scurried below. Within minutes the ship was upon them and it was all a blur. Fire rained from the sky as the pirates shot flaming arrows at them. The men attempted to fire the cannons but could not get organized. Then there were men swinging onto the boat from the pirate ship. 

Yara and Arya both jumped into action. Everywhere was smoke and bodies were being stabbed and flung about. She lost sight of Arya. Yara slashed through pirate after pirate looking for Arya. She knew Arya could hold her own but this attack felt all too familiar. She couldn’t have a repeat of failing to protect Ellaria Sand. 

But then through the smoke and arterial spray she saw Arya. The sight almost took her breath away. Arya was nimble and fast. She avoided as many stabs as she herself dealt. She was like a magician with her sword. Pirates didn’t even know what had got them and she was onto the next. Arya could more than hold her own. She was owning this fight. Yara felt a pang in her chest. She had heard so much about Arya’s exploits but never seen her in battle. The silly goofball was also a silent and effortlessly efficient fighter. Yara had never been so attracted to anyone in her whole life. 

The few seconds of gazing approvingly at Arya had cost her dear. A large man all in black ran at her. She regained her attention in just enough time to side step. But he was big and quick and he was on her again. Yara wasn’t an expert with a sword but she did enough. But the man was twice as strong as her and each blow she defended caused her muscles to stretch and almost tear. She fought as hard as she could but couldn’t make her blows connect. He was always too fast for her. She was running out of energy. Suddenly the man froze, his eyes bulged as a blade appeared from his stomach and he collapsed forward. As he fell he revealed Arya standing behind him. Her face was all grim determination. 

“You ok?” She asked. 

“I am now. Thank you.” Yara didn’t have time for many more words as the pirates were on them again. 

“Let’s do this together.” 

As she spoke Arya moved swiftly to position herself back-to-back with Yara. Together they slashed and stabbed at the pirates around them. Without a word or planning they coordinated their movements exactly. 

“STOP!”

A booming voice broke above the din of bodies fighting and dying. Yara and Arya froze. On the upper deck stood a large red haired man all in black. Behind him were two other men holding Gregor between them. Yara gasped. 

“Well. You two little firecrackers have fought well. You’ve eliminated quite a few of my men. But I can’t let you continue lest I have no crew. Drop your weapons and surrender or I will kill this man.” 

How did they know? How did this stranger know how much Yara valued Gregor. Perhaps the Pirate captain just assumed that a fragile old man hiding in the depths of the ship would be of value to the crew.

“I’m sorry Yara! I tried to hide. But they were everywhere. Don’t worry. I’m old, I’ve lived a good life. You can beat these rats! Oooof” The two men elbowed Gregor hard in the stomach and he doubled over. 

Yara winced. Panic was spreading through her. She did not trust these men. She knew that as soon as she dropped her sword they would kill Gregor anyway. But what if they didn’t? 

“You’re call on this, Yara.” Arya whispered. “I’ll support whatever you choose.” 

"I’m sorry Arya. I know they can’t be trusted. But… I’ve known him all my life.”

“I understand.” Arya bent down to drop her sword and the knife she held in her other hand. 

“We surrender.” Yara used her most official captain’s voice. “Let him go.” 

As Yara dropped her sword, pirates rushed forward to tie her and Arya up. When they were secured the Pirate captain looked down at them.

“How sweet. She cares so much for this old bag of bones she’s willing to sacrifice herself and that little boy.” He began to laugh uproariously. “What a bunch of idiots. Smith - kill that man and throw his useless body to the sharks.” 

Before Yara could even react or look away, the man to the right of Gregor pulled a dagger and efficiently sliced Gregor’s throat. Then the two men heaved him off the deck into the sea.

Yara felt her knees almost gave way. Arya pushed into her back to hold her up. And then blackness as a pirate hit her over the head with a cudgel. 

_ Arya _

When Arya woke up again she was in near darkness. She had a headache from the blow to her head but she was alive. She was seated on the floor with rope around her middle and her hands tied in front of her. Her legs were tied too. There was a rope around her throat as well. She was tied to some sort of pole. As her eyes accustomed to the light she guessed she was in some sort of supply chamber. 

“Arya…” a tentative and small voice reached her. “Are you awake? Are you alive?” It was Yara. She sounded so different.

“I just woke up. I’m okay. Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Did you see where they brought us?” 

She felt a rustling behind her. Yara was tied to the same pole on the other side. Arya couldn’t help but be grateful that Yara was so near. 

"I'm alive. They must think we're valuable or we'd be shark food too... Oh God. Gregor." 

Arya wished she could reach Yara. She wanted so badly to comfort her and ease the pain in Yara's voice. 

"You did the right thing. You wouldn't have been able to live with yourself if you'd kept fighting. You'd always wonder if they might have spared him. There were so many of them."

Arya could hear the muffled sound of Yara trying to hide that she was crying. Her heart broke for her. 

"I can't... I can't save anyone. They all die because of me. I wasn't there to help Theon. I ignored my instincts because I was flirting with Ellaria. And Gregor..." Her voice broke. "He deserved better." 

"Hey. Dummy! What is this nonsense? There's a certain little pip squeak tied to this pole with you who is here today because you pulled her out of the sea. And it wasn't you that failed Gregor. It was those good for nothing idiots that kept drinking after you told them what was coming!"

" Brat." Yara sniffed but Arya could hear the smile creeping into her voice. 

Arya blew a raspberry. To her delight she could feel Yara shaking with laughter. 

They sat in silence for awhile. Arya listened to Yara breathe. She had so many questions. Who were their captors? What did they want? Did they know who Yara and Arya were or did they only think women would fetch a price as slaves? Panic edged into Arya's mind as she thought about what the pirates could get away with doing to them before they sold them. 

"Have you ever been in love?" 

Arya had said the words without thinking. She had tried to distract herself with thoughts of Yara and her bosom and this is what came out? 

"Uh… what?" 

"I need to get out of my head so I just thought we should get to know each other better." 

"Oh, I see. Um… No, I don't think I have. I don't think I am capable." 

"Really? But have you had relationships?" 

"Not really. I have women I see here and there. But that's mostly a 'friends who have sex' arrangement."

"Have you ever wanted more?" 

"I don't know. I… My life has never accommodated that. I love my freedom. And…  I don't want to bring danger to poor unsuspecting women. Danger tends to follow me. As our current situation will attest." 

"But what if she was ok with danger?" 

Arya was not really skilled at flirting and this was her oblique attempt which seemed to jus go over Yara’s head.

"I… Oh, I don't know." Yara seemed flustered. "What about you, pip squeak?" 

"I… no. There wasn’t really time." 

"Not even with what's his name? Who ran around saying sleeping with him helped you kill the Night King?" 

"Not his finest hour - spreading that rumour - but he is a good man. He was hurt that I didn't marry him. But he is a sex friend like you said…" 

"I don't think I said 'sex friend' but continue." 

"No I didn't love him. I just didn't want to die a virgin. Although, I do not understand what the big deal is anyway." 

"About virginity?" 

"About sex." Arya was glad Yara couldn't see her blush. 

"Uhhhh, it feels really great? Like forget-all-your-problems-great. Isn't that enough?" 

"I mean… does it?" 

"Arya! Yes it does. Alright so Gendry clearly is terrible in bed. But haven't you… I mean, you know?" 

"Haven't I what?" 

Yara sighed incredulously. "Brought yourself off? Given yourself pleasure?"

Arya turned bright red. Again she was thankful for the darkness. 

"Oh Arya. You haven't have you?" 

"No." 

This was bad. In the space of a few minutes she had thrown herself at Yara and admitted how inadequate she was. Yara must think she was a dumb prude.

"Oh, no, it's nothing to be ashamed of! You haven't spent a lot of time with other women, have you? But Arya, don't be embarrassed. Even if you had more time with female friends you may not have been taught about that."

Yara sighed and continued, "it's the way of our society, right? We don't value women's pleasure the way we do men's. I have slept with a great number of widows who have multiple children. They had obviously had sex before but an alarming number of them had never had an orgasm before they were with me."

"Ooooh Braggy McBraggerson look at you!" Arya put on a fake voice: "I'm Yara and I'm suuuuch a stud that all the ladies come with just one look from me.'" 

She could hear Yara sigh in exasperation. 

"My point, pip squeak, is that married women hadn't been allowed pleasure. And if you think they all got off just by me looking at them know even less about sex than I thought you did." 

Arya felt thoroughly chastened. She sat in silence. 

"I get it Arya. This is a really uncomfortable topic. Jokes to break the tension are fine. But... it's just when we don't care about women's pleasure we also don't care about our wishes or choices." 

"I'm sorry." 

"No, Arya, don't be. I just can't joke about this. I think we both know so many women who have been brutalized and have not been allowed to choose what they want." 

"Have you? I mean has that ever happened to you?" Arya wasn't sure it was her business. 

"Thankfully no. But it has to so many women I care about. I... I have seen the effects, you know?" 

There was a silence between them. How long before their captors made an appearance? 

"We should probably try to get some sleep. Who knows what we'll have to deal with later."

"No doubt." 

The silence stretched and Arya heard Yara's breathing deepen. Soon she drifted off. But when the sun came up it shone through the window. Arya yawned, unable to get back to sleep. 

"Can you really shape-shift into the bodies of people you kill?" 

Oh. That. 

"It's not really shape shifting. It's more like a mask. And it's really more about the abdication of self than anything. You have to make yourself nobody and no one to be able to do it. It is a power but there were sacrifices made to get it."

"Sacrifices how?" Yara paused. "You don't have to answer that if it's too..." 

"Well the fact that I am now a faceless killer. It takes a toll on your soul. I feel unclean and compromised in some way. I’m basically a monster now." 

“Oh Ar, I don’t think you’re a monster. None of us are clean. This world has dirtied all of our hands.” 

“Well maybe not a monster. But I crossed a line. I can’t go back. I’ll never be a person who hasn’t killed people. It keeps me awake at night sometimes.” 

"Was it worth it?" 

"I got revenge for my mother and brother. The men I killed were bad men, certainly. Revenge was the only thing keeping me alive for a time. But after the massacre at King's Landing things are less clear. Does it matter if I only killed “bad people”? I still killed people. Do I have a mother and brother anymore? No. Someone who was like a father to me made me see that revenge was a choice I didn't have to make."

"Was that before or after you threw the brick at Cersei?"

"Oh, so now who is dealing with their discomfort for serious topics by making an inappropriate joke?" 

But they were both laughing. They sat in companionable silence. And then Arya had to break the silence because she wanted to hear Yara’s voice. 

"If you could be any animal which one would you be?" 

"What?" Yara was laughing again. The sound always delighted Arya. 

But then the sound of heavy boots echoed near and the door of their room swung open. The pirate captain and several of his men stood in the doorway. 

"So..." the captain snarled. "Looks like we made a good investment. One of your crew told us who you two are. Imagine a real live monster killer on our ship."

"And I heard she killed all the Freys with her bare hands!" One of the men said. 

"I heard she killed all the Dothraki!" Another called out. 

"Nah that were the White Walkers!" 

"The Dothraki aren't dead, they sacked King's Landing." 

“But I thought they all died at the Battle of Winterfell?” 

"I heard she threw the rock that killed Cersei!" 

"She didn't throw the rock, although that would have made more sense than what actually happened."

"Shut the fuck up you idiots!" The Captain snapped. 

"As I was saying. You're famous and we can get a lot of coin for you." 

He looked at Yara. "You on the other hand, I have no idea who the fuck you are. But we can probably sell you to slavers. We'll just have to find ones with the patience to break you in. What a shame I won't get to watch." 

Arya balled her fists tightly to prevent herself from struggling against her restraints. The last thing she wanted was to give this vile Captain the satisfaction of seeing her distressed. Arya was going to enjoy killing this asshole. Yara was wrong, she thought, I am a bloodthirsty monster. But if protecting Yara meant losing her humanity she would gladly throw it all away. 

"We've got a distance to go to the slavers island. So you two best behave." The Captain continued. "We want to deliver you in good condition but... We can always say you was banged up when we found you. Trust me, we got some disgusting perverts on this ship that are dying to play with you." 

He began to laugh. 

"Come on assholes. We've got work to do." 

The men swaggered out and slammed the door behind them. 

"He's gonna die." Arya gritted out. 

"Let's focus on getting out of here. If we can do both I am all for it." 

"We've got some time. Let's wait and see if we can find the weak link." 

Arya was trying to control her rage and panic. 

"So what animal would you be if you could be any animal?" 

Yara laughed. 

"Alright, I'll play. I would be a raven. Easy to get out of situations like this. What about you? 

"I would be..." Arya hadn't really thought of an answer before she asked the question. "I guess a dire wolf. They can fight." 

"I'm surprised you didn't say a sparrow so you could peck my eyes out for insubordination." Yara said deadpan. 

Arya began to laugh. "You're such a goober!" 

"Goober?" Yara cackled. "Now you're just making words up!" 

They both laughed together trying to forget the danger hanging over their heads. 

They passed the next few hours with Arya asking goofy questions like what dessert Yara would be if she could be one. Arya alternated those with serious questions like if Yara thought there was a predetermined meaning to life. Arya didn't want Yara to get bored with silly questions alone. 

A few hours in, a very angry looking man brought them each a cup of water and some bread. He watched them carefully as they ate and whisked the cups away when they finished. Night fell and they took turns sleeping. Arya was worried the men would drink into the night and get notions about their prisoners. 

The next day, having run out of silly questions, Arya decided to go for it. 

"Hey goober, I have another question. You can just change the topic if it's too personal." 

"Ask away pip squeak." 

"When did you know that you only liked women?" 

"You have two modes, don't you: goofy or incredibly serious. But it's all good. I was young. I don't remember how old. Maybe 6 or 7? We had a nanny but she got too old so we got a new and younger one. Her name was Beatriz. She was GORGEOUS! Glossy dark hair, beautiful brown eyes, and the sexiest voice. I was smitten."

"Did you ever tell her?" 

"No, she would have laughed. I was so young. But after that I started noticing women. And I guess I have never stopped." 

"Have you ever thought about being with a man?" 

"Honestly no, never. I mean, do you recommend it?" 

"From my one experience of it? Definitely not. He is a very kind man, but it was very boring." 

"Oh, Arya. Sex should never be boring. I mean it can be messy, chaotic, probably a bad idea because she's most likely married... But never boring. You deserve better than that. We all do!" 

There was a pause. It felt like Yara still had something to say, 

"Um... Have you ever wanted to be with a woman? You know like…"

Oh. 

Arya gulped. If they were sitting face to face there was no way she could have answered this question. But since Yara couldn't see her face and for all she knew they might not live much longer. 

"Yes. Maybe any woman in general but definitely with a specific one." 

Damn! Had she actually just said that!?!? Like out loud? To Yara? Who is not a stupid person, at all! 

Yara sputtered. "Did you mean... ?? Uh... Were you..." 

"You heard me." 

"Oh... Wow. Um so…” 

But before Yara could choke out what she was going to say, the door opened and a tall skinny man entered with a tray. 

_ Yara _

These fucking pirates! Being kidnapped was one thing. But not being able to continue that conversation…

"Captain said to bring you some grub." 

His first mistake, Yara thought, was talking to us. 

"Oh you are soooo kind. We were so hungry we couldn't even handle it. 

Yara could practically hear the eyelash fluttering in Arya’s voice. The girl could certainly put on different faces alright. 

" Oh… Uh… Yeah, I mean. Actually the captain was all "Don't let them eat!" But I felt bad for you girls."

Wow, he was all kinds of stupid. And apparently this crew was willing to stab each other in the back when a beautiful, interesting, tough, but also really funny and charming woman fake flirted with them. 

" _ Oooooh _ ! You are so sweet!" 

How was this idiot falling for this? 

"I am soooooo grateful!" 

The man put the tray down and went over to Arya. Yara couldn't see what he was doing but she was sure Arya had this well in hand. 

"Such a pretty little bit you are. Your titties might be small but I bet they feel great." 

Yara could feel Arya stiffen in disgust. Yara wanted to rip him apart. 

"Do you want to show me how grateful you are?? You can’t tell from these pants but I’m a pretty big boy." 

Oh for fuck's sake. Barf. 

"I  _ really _ do!! Especially since you're so big and muscular. You are so hot and it's been such a long time... since I have been able to show how grateful I am to someone..." 

He made a gross chortling noise that suggested he couldn't believe his luck. 

"But, I am a really shy and... My friend is right here. Can we go somewhere?" 

"Your friend ain't gonna live to tell anyone. Those slavers are gonna tear her apart. But there's a private corner over there, she won't be able to see..." 

"Okay big boy. You untie me and we'll go over there." 

Yara thought about trying to get free when the man started to untie Arya but didn't want to mess up her plan. 

Once Arya was free the two went off to the corner. Yara could hear Arya’s simpering comments until she heard the sound of choking. 

"Not today!" Arya said loudly, presumably to his jerking body. 

There were all sorts of squelching noises that Yara would prefer not to think about. And then she felt the ropes binding her being loosened. 

"Don't be scared goober." The man's voice said. "It's me, your little pip squeak. Let's get out of here."

Yara held back a gasp as the skinny man stood over her and offered a hand to help her up. 

It was uncanny. There was no trace of Arya at all. 

"I am so sorry to ask you this but can you help me put his body in that trunk? It will be faster if we do it together." 

"Of course." 

Arya had thrown a bag over his face but Yara could see the blood that pooled at his neck. 

Once the body was in the trunk they moved to the door. 

"Anyone sees us I am 'borrowing you for some fun', alright?" 

The passage was clear. Arya roughly grabbed Yara’s arm and tugged her along. Yara doubted that whoever this dick-for-brains had been he was authorized to just "borrow" a prisoner that they meant to sell to a brothel. Suddenly they heard footsteps. Arya pulled Yara into a dark corner, clamping a hand over her mouth and another around her waist. Several men walked by. Both Arya and Yara held their breath as the men neared their former cell. The men swiftly walked by the door uninterested. 

Yara breathed a sigh of relief. But Arya didn't release her fully. She moved her hand from Yara's mouth to her shoulder. 

"You smell really good, goober." 

The voice was the man's but Yara could almost hear Arya saying it. Arya stroked the man's hand down Yara's arm.

Yara shivered with delight.

"Ar, I don't think this is the right place or time."

"I know Yar. But there's a chance we get caught. And if we do, they might kill us. I'm sure they can get almost as much money for just my head. So... I don't want to die without telling you this. I'm just going to say it. I want you so badly. I want you to fuck me so hard that I see stars. I want to kiss you with my real face."

Yara almost couldn't breathe. She felt wetness form between her legs. It was a bit creepy to hear this in a dead man's voice but she knew it was Arya. Arya had been so ballsy with this whole thing. She felt she had to show Arya she was feeling it too.

"We have to go. But Ar, I want you too. I want to taste your pussy and lick you till you almost explode. I want you to put one of those small fingers of yours up in me."

Arya made a lusty noise in Yara's ear.

Arya released Yara and grabbed her arm and they started moving again.

But then their luck turned even worse. The captain was emerging from his chambers. He saw them immediately. Without even thinking Yara grabbed a knife from the dead man's belt and ran at the captain with the knife raised.

He was too quick for Yara, he grabbed her knife hand with one hand and wrapped a hand around her throat with another. Panic gripped Yara but she vaguely remembered something. She dropped the knife in her hand but caught it with her other hand. Then she stabbed into the captain's stomach and used every last bit of strength to pull the knife up and gut him like a fish. He dropped his hand and fell to the floor back into his room. Yara fell on him and stabbed him in the heart.

She sat panting straddling the now dead captain.

"You little bitch!" Arya said in the man's voice. "You totally stole my move!!"

Yara looked up in disbelief. Really? This was Arya’s reaction?

The man's face broke into a full grin. "I'm kidding Yar! That was fucking awesome! But like, that is my move..."

Yara rolled her eyes. "Brat." She said without heat.

"Well whatever. Help me carry this body into his bed. We can make it look like he's sleeping." 

They carried the corpse, trying not to lead a trail of blood, to the chamber's bed. They hefted him onto the bed, covering him with blankets. 

"I mean, I made that move famous, everyone thought I was a goner and then it was like oh my god she … Needle!!" Arya exclaimed. And she ran to a pile of their weapons. She and Yara loaded up with as many as they could find. Yara found several large skins of water and some bread, cheese, and dried meats. She threw them into a bag along with anything else in the room that seemed useful.

"Ugh!!!!" Arya said opening a box. "This fucker was a piece of work. I'm glad you killed him. Even if you did use my signature move." 

Yara, who had started washing the blood off of herself, raised an eyebrow in question. 

"You do not want to look at this! He's collected all these body parts. It's disgusting." 

Arya slammed the lid of the box. "Let's get the fuck out of here whilst we still can." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	4. Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yara and Arya escape the pirates.

_ Yara _

They crept out the door and down the hall. This time luck was with them. No one else appeared. They edged up the stairs. Again luck was with them because the men were gathered - all drinking and laughing - on the opposite side from where the landing boats were. 

"Get in!" Arya whispered. "I'll lower you down and clamber down to join you." 

Yara was too tired to argue. She climbed into the suspended boat. 

"Take this!" Arya threw her a large tarp and some rope along with the bag of supplies. Then she removed the face she had been wearing and flung it into the water. It was comforting to see Arya as herself again. 

Arya began to lower the boat as quietly as she could. Once the boat was on the gently undulating water Arya shimmied down one of the ropes. Yara couldn't help but admire the muscles on Arya’s arms. Arya seemed small until she engaged her muscles and it became clear how powerful she was. Yara was uncontrollably turned on. 

Once Arya was in the boat they untied the ropes and began to row away. 

"Once we get away and into a current that will push us away from the ship we need to get under the tarp so it looks like an abandoned ship floating in the water." 

They rowed as hard as they could until Arya was satisfied and pulled the oars in and settled under the tarp, only their faces showing. They lay on their sides facing each other. Arya silently congratulated herself for grabbing pillows off of the captain's bed. 

"Do we have enough fresh water to last till we get to land." Yara worried. 

Arya stroked her face so gently. 

"I don't know." 

But what alternative was there? Searching or more food and water might have resulted in having to kill more of the crew. 

"Fuck. Yara we killed people. Like battle is battle so that was self defense. And I mean the Captain was a monster, he killed your friend and had a box of body parts in his room, so I don't care about that. He deserved to die. But the one I killed… He was slimy but did he deserve to die?" 

Yara ran her hand through Arya's hair in a way that she hoped was comforting.

"It was him or us. How would we escape if not that? I dunno. He would have done the same to us."

"I feel like a monster." 

"No. They were going to sell you to probably someone who was going to enjoy hurting you. They were going to sell me into sexual slavery. If you hadn't "agreed" to fuck him he would have probably raped you. Ar, we live in a brutal world. We didn't make it brutal but sometimes we have to meet the world with brutality to survive."

"I know Yara. But that's why I left Westeros. I was hoping that beyond Westeros either people wouldn't be violent or that there wouldn't be any people. Here is just as bad as Westeros. Why did I leave my family?" 

Yara had never seen Arya look so fragile and defeated. 

"Oh Arya." 

She pulled Arya into an embrace. Arya, in turn, clung to her. 

After a time Arya pulled back and looked very seriously at Yara. 

"But if I hadn't left, I wouldn't have met you, not properly anyway. I am so thankful we met! I’m so thankful that you pulled me out of the water. You saved me, Yara Greyjoy." 

"I am too. And I am glad you took that face off," Yara said as she explored Arya’s face lightly with the tips of her fingers, “I like this one much better. And I have no desire to kiss the other one.” 

_ Arya _

"Fuck you are sexy." Arya blushed as Yara said it. Her heart was beating so fast. Was this actually going to happen? 

Arya opened her mouth to sigh and moved her head so that Yara's finger was on her lips. She looked purposely at Yara and Yara slid her finger in. Arya closed her mouth around the finger and began to suck Yara's finger without breaking eye contact. Arya felt dampness in her lower regions increased and she moaned. 

Yara slid her finger out and leaned in to kiss Arya. Yara's lips were so soft. Arya was tentative at first and Yara let her set the pace. But Aya wanted more. She felt like she was burning with need. 

She reached around and cradled Yara's head whilst subtly pulling her closer. Their kiss deepened and Yara began to explore Arya’s mouth with her tongue. Yara was gentle but insistent. 

What all of this was doing to Arya was both so new and a bit scary. But also, Arya had never felt this much pleasure in her life. She wanted all of it. She wanted to feel every inch of Yara. She wanted to set Yara's body on fire the way hers was burning. 

Arya moaned into Yara's mouth because she had no words. And she began to untie the stays of Yara's shirt. Then she reached in and began to stroke one Yara's breasts. Yara was soft and warm. She made an urgent moan of pleasure that was so dirty Arya almost couldn't handle it. She had worked down to Yara's nipple. It was as hard as a rock. Arya instinctively pinched it between her thumb and finger. 

"Uhhhh." Yara sounded almost incoherent with pleasure. She broke their kiss to say: "Are you.. Uhhhhh… Are you sure you've never done this before? Fuuuuck! It feels soooo good!" 

Arya couldn't help but feel ridiculously proud of herself. 

Yara was working on opening Arya’s shirt. "I want you so badly." Yara breathed. "We don't have time this time. But when we do, I want to lick every inch of your body. I want to spend so much time getting you ready that you are desperate for it and begging me to make you come. Would you like that? Would you like me to tease you and make you beg me for it?"

Arya had lost all ability to form words. Yara was stroking her breast and lightly scratching it. Arya was going to explode. She groaned lasciviously in a way she hoped would signify consent. 

Yara bent her head down and began to kiss Arya’s neck. It was intoxicating: the tender gentleness mixed with forcefulness. Arya felt a warm tingling feeling all through her body. Yara had moved down to her breasts and was lavishing one then the other with attention. Arya writhed with passion. She wanted Yara everywhere on her immediately. 

Suddenly Yara stopped and moved back up so she was facing Arya. 

"Why... Why did you stop?" Arya panted out. 

Yara had a wicked glimmer in her eye. 

"Can I touch you anywhere?" 

"Uh, Yara, there is somewhere specific I want you to touch me but everywhere is good too." 

Yara cackled. "You seem so innocent. But you're really dirty." 

Yara leaned in and kissed her. Arya felt it all through her body. 

"But, tell me something." Yara was looking at her with a look of slight concern. "Have you ever? I mean... How do I say this? I know you said you have never given yourself pleasure. But... Well, I mean. Have you ever touched yourself there? Like *there*? Like I don't mean just cleaning after going to the privy. I mean have you ever explored your own body to see what it feels like?" 

Arya couldn't prevent herself from blushing. "No. I just... I didn't... I was just trying to survive. I didn't want to let my guard down." She looked down. 

"Oh sweet one. Don't be ashamed." Yara touched her face with tenderness. She gently pushed on her chin to raise her head. The look she gave Arya melted her heart. 

"I want you to know your body. Believe me. I want to know your body too. I want to touch and kiss and lick every single inch of you. But I don't want to be the first to touch you and bring pleasure. That right should be yours alone." 

Yara looked so serious and caring. Arya had never - not at Winterfell, not with her siblings, not with her parents when they were alive - felt so safe. She could take care of herself physically but Yara was protective of Arya's feelings and her personhood. 

So with no one else could have Arya said what she said next. 

"I don't know what to do." 

Yara smiled encouragingly and stroked her cheek again. "If you are willing, I can talk you through it." 

"Yes." 

Yara leaned in and kissed her again. At this point she doubted she would need very much touching to have an orgasm. 

"Now." She gently took Arya’s hand in hers and moved it to Arya’s waist. She pressed Arya’s hand flat on her stomach. Arya was full of tingly butterflies. Yara removed her hand. 

"Put your hand into your pants." 

Luckily Arya’s pants were loose and had give. Her hand slid easily in. She slid her hand down till she reached her pubic hair. She stopped, unsure if she could continue down. 

"You can do this. It's perfectly natural. Where is your hand? 

"It's at the hair..." 

"Keep going. If I've been doing my part right it should be wet down there." 

She moved her hand further down and it was indeed wet. Arya nodded. 

"You're feeling for the patch of skin that sticks out a bit. If you run your finger along it it feels really good." 

Arya felt around. "Oooh!" 

Yara smiled proudly at her. "You found it. Now just rub your finger up and down it, in whatever way feels good. Every woman is different. Some like it faster or slower. Just do what works." 

Arya did what she said. The tingling increased, she felt so much pressure. But it was a good pressure. She moaned and increased the speed. 

"Fuck you look sexy right now. I'm going to come just looking at you." Yara spoke softly into her ear. "Sometimes it feels good to move your hips a bit, to create more friction."

This was almost too much. She found a rhythm and increased the pace. How had she never thought to do this before. But suddenly she felt the strongest desire that Yara should be part of this. 

" Kiss me. " It came out like a demand though she meant it as a question. 

"Where?" Yara saidly slyly. 

Oh that hadn't even occurred to her. "My chest. I mean my breasts. Or I guess breast? You can't really kiss both at the same time. Please." 

Yara laughed gently. "It's ok, you are doing good." 

Yara bent her head down and began to kiss her. She was so close. Yara was licking around her nipple, playing with the hard nub. And then very gently she bit it. 

That was too much, it sent Arya over the edge. Everything tingled and her vision blurred. She cried out. She was so taken over with pleasure. Then the spot was sensitive and it made her convulse just to touch it. She pulled her hand out and lay flat on the floor of the boat trying to catch her breath. Yara gently took her hand, now wet from her vagina. 

"Can I taste you?" Yara asked. 

"Ye... Yes." Arya could hardly form words. 

Yara began to lick her hand. Her tongue was warm and gentle. And the way Yara moaned while doing it almost made Arya ready to go again. When she was done Yara slid up face to face with Arya and pulled her into an embrace. 

"Was that good?" 

"Yes. So good. Why did I miss out on this for so long. Thank you. I... Thank you for making me feel like it was ok." 

Yara pulled back and looked at her, so very serious. 

"This is important. No matter what I am to you and no matter what anyone else you chose to bind yourself to is to you: it is your body. You have the final say. You get to choose where and how you get pleasure. You can allow anyone you want access but it must be on your terms, do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Good." 

"Yara? 

"Yes?"

"What about you? Do you want... Should I? You know, for practice?" 

Yara grinned. "Oh practice is it? Now who's the horn dog?" 

Arya laughed. 

"Well, I wouldn't want to deprive you of the practice." 

Yara undid the buttons on her pants. Arya gave a silent prayer of thanks that Yara wasn't a particularly girly girl because Arya had no idea how she would get into a complicated corset like all the fancy ladies wore. 

"Just so you know, you've been doing some next level sexy stuff already and I am probably not going to last very long. Like shorter than normal." 

"Oooh look at me, I'm such a stud I usually go for hours…" 

"Brat." But Yara was laughing. 

"No judgement. I have also only recently learned how to to this so..." 

"I have faith in you." 

Arya was almost shaking. She was nervous she wouldn't be very good. She slowly reached down and slid her hand into Yara's pants. Yara was looking at her with fire in her eyes. She was clearly incredibly turned on. 

Yara's arousal became even more apparent when Arya reached down further. 

"You're so wet," Arya said appreciatively. 

"I don't know if you fully understand how fucking incredibly gorgeous you are. And watching you pleasure yourself. Fuck. Damn right I am wet. It's all because of you." 

Emboldened, Arya began to explore with her fingers. Yara was hot and wet. As she explored Yara began to whimper. She was moving her hips. Arya slid her finger into Yara's hole. 

"Fuck! Yes! Oh my gawd Arya! So good. More fingers! 

Arya stuck another in. 

Yara was moaning and writhing. Arya could watch this for hours. She thrust her fingers in and out of Yara. 

" Holy Hell!!! Fuck! Son of a whore!"

"Is it alright? Are you hurt?" 

"Lord of fucking light, don't you dare stop! I curse when I'm turned on... " Yara breathed out. 

Arya continued. Without really thinking about it she used her thumb to rub along the area at the top of Yara's labia. 

"Ughggghg FUCK!!!!!" Yara screamed. 

Arya only had to stroke and thrust a few more times before Yara was moaning and convulsing. 

"Uhhhg I can't... To sensitive..."

Arya quickly withdrew her hand. 

"Kiss me... Face..." Yara managed to get the words out. 

Arya bent and kissed her. They tangled tongues but it was slow and leisurely. Then Arya collapsed on to Yara's chest. A protective arm came around Arya. 

"You sure you've never done this before?" 

"I mean, I've done it once. Just before. To myself. Don't you remember? Was it really not that memorable?" 

"Brat." 

"Goober." 

"Pip squeak." 

_ Yara _

To Yara Greyjoy there were few simple delights in life better than waking up with a woman sleeping in her arms. Of course the events that led the woman to be sleeping there were in that small number of better delights. But she loved to wake up from post coital bliss with the woman. 

Arya was nestled into her side. She could feel the gentle rocking of the boat. They were not even remotely safe but Yara hadn't ever felt so at peace. What the hell had she done so right that fate had sent this little fireball into her life? And how had she ever managed to seduce her? But thinking back, it was more that Arya seduced her. Yara had always been good with attracting women. But Arya was something else. She felt special. 

Everyone said that Sansa was the prettier of the Stark girls and Yara had agreed. But not now. If Arya and Sansa were in a room together, she would not even look at Sansa. 

Yara had slept with a lot of women. She'd lost count. Given her taste for fancy women a great deal of them had been gorgeous. But none of them compared to Arya. 

This woman had magic fingers and with a little encouragement was filthy as hell. Plus why the fuck had Yara been wasting her time sleeping with women who didn't make her laugh? 

Arya scared the shit out of her too. She was fierce and incredibly smart. Yara had to struggle to keep up with her. Mostly she could but it was effort. Effort that made her feel more alive than she had in years. 

Yara thought about everything Arya had endured leading up to now. Life was fucking hard and terrible for everyone in Westeros but Arya had had a particularly hard go of it. Yara thought angrily about all the many who had hurt Arya and what she'd like to do to them. Except, of course, most of them were already dead by Arya’s hand. 

Arya was starting to stir. Yara was half sad to lose the pleasure of having Arya sleeping in her arms and half elated to talk to her again. 

All of this lead to one thing that scared the fuck out of Yara. She was falling in love with Arya. 

"Do you know where we are?" Arya yawned as she spoke. She had that squinty half awake look. They both sat up. 

"Haven't a clue but also don't see any pirates around." 

"How about land?" 

Yara looked around into the distance. 

"Maybe that way? Should we row in that direction?" 

Yara sniffed the air. Everything seemed fine but since the incident with poor Ellaria Sand, Yara was worried that being turned on affected her ability to sense danger. 

They began to row. Towards what was hopefully land and not a trick of the eye. Arya took a drink of the water and passed it to Yara. 

"Uh, um, how are you doing after... I mean you know... About what we..." 

Arya smiled at her patiently. It was a smile that said, 'I think you are ridiculous for not being able to get the words out but I am going to be nice and not make fun.'" 

"I don't really have words." Arya said whilst chewing on some bread. 

Was that good or bad? 

"I... Well, I am embarrassed about my lack of knowledge..." 

Yara was about to tell her not to be. But Arya shook her head. 

"I know, it's alright. But, you made me feel so comfortable. So free to just try anything. I haven't felt safe very many times in my life. But last night was one of them." 

"Oh..." Yara could have cried. No one had ever said anything so beautiful to her before. 

"I don't know what this means in terms of who I am but there is no contest between you and Gendry. This was so much better." 

"Well I don't know if that's cuz I am a woman or just that I'm better at sex than him."

Arya laughed. "So conceited. But Yara? Please don't propose to me?" 

They both laughed. There was no danger of that. But at least Yara understood a bit what Gendry was thinking. Yara wanted so badly to do this again. Except maybe on dry land. With less clothes on. But she thought she would die if she didn't get to kiss or make love to Arya again. 

"Also, I can see how you get so many girls. You are devastatingly sexy when you want to be." 

Yara blushed. 

"I mean... It wasn't sooo many girls. And, well, if you want to talk devastatingly sexy, look in a mirror! I can see why you got proposed to!" 

Arya blushed. They continued to row in silence for awhile. 

"But... I mean you have slept with a lot of women, right?" 

"Yes, Arya, I have. You were more memorable than a lot of them." 

"Oh!" Arya said in a way that it was clear she was trying to hide how happy that made her. 

"Hmmm, alright. But real talk..." Arya paused. 

"Yes?" 

"Does that just mean you have a terrible memory and you only remember me because it was last night?" 

Was Arya really worried about this? Yara glanced at Arya and saw mischief in her eyes. 

Arya started laughing. "Just kidding Goober." She stuck out her tongue. 

Fuck Arya was hot when she was acting like a goofball. 

The waves were getting stronger and it took much more concentration to keep going towards what was seeming to be land. Yara was relieved that it was a cloudy day. The sun wasn't beating down on them. But if those clouds turned into rain clouds, they were in trouble. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading


	5. Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arya and Yara find an island

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again there is a lot of non-period language and anachronisms and Arya acting like a goofball.

Yara

They made it! Yara had collapsed onto the sand after they pulled the boat onto land. The sun was setting so there wasn't time to rest. They had rowed hard all day and Yara's arms felt like they were going to fall off. 

"We need to pull the boat up a bit more, " Arya - who was improbably still standing - said. "We should sleep in it again because we don't know what kind of animals are on the island. We don't want to be someone's dinner." 

Yara pulled herself up and somehow found the strength to help Arya carry the boat. Then she rigged the tarp over it in case it rained overnight. Arya was busily rigging some sort of booby trap up around them. 

"If you have to pee in the night, just be careful. I set it up so if something or someone comes near there will be a lot of noise." 

It had started to rain gently. 

“I’ll rig up some things to catch the rain. We don’t know if there is fresh water on this island so we might need all the rainwater we can get.” Yara busied herself with that task.

It was almost pitch black when everything was ready and they both took off their boots and fell into each other's arms in the boat. Yara fell asleep instantly. 

*** * * * * * * *

Yara was instantly awake. Beside her Arya was tossing and turning. She was clearly having a nightmare. 

“Arya?” Yara shook her gently, “Arya, please wake up. It’s a dream.” 

Arya’s eyes flew open in alarm. “What? Where?” 

“You’re on the island. You just had a dream.”

Arya focused on Yara. She looked very sad.

“I’m sorry. It was… I have those occasionally. Sometimes I think I never got out of King’s Landing, not really. I’m still there smelling the smoke and burning flesh.”

Yara pulled Arya into her arms. 

“I’m so sorry.” She couldn’t think of what to say but the way Arya was gripping her made her realize that Arya just needed to be held. She gently stroked Arya’s hair. 

“Please tell me a story, anything. I just need something to take my mind off of it.” 

* * * * * * * ** * 

When Yara woke up the sun was already up. Arya was curled up against her with one hand resting on one of Yara's breasts. What a horn dog, she thought. 

Arya began to stir but did not move her hand. Yara stayed as still as she could. She didn't want Arya to move. 

Then all of a sudden. "Honk." Arya had squeezed her breast. 

"Oy, pip squeak! Did you just honk my boob?" 

"Whaa…" Arya groggily raised her head. "I don't know what you're talking about." 

" You squeezed me and said 'Honk.'" 

"No… That must have been someone else. I don't know what you're talking about." 

"Arya, there is no one else here!" 

"I dunno. Can't help you. It wasn't me." 

They lay there for a minute. 

"Honk." 

"Arya!! You did it again." 

"Lies!" 

Yara was shaking with laughter. Arya was doing a pretty good job of keeping a straight face. 

"Yara, I think you're losing it. I really don't know what you're talking about…" 

"You little shit." 

"Honk!" 

This time Arya couldn't hold it in. She started laughing too. They both laughed deep belly laughs. 

"Are you five?" Yara said, wiping her eyes when she stopped laughing. 

"Come on!! It was funny!" 

"Funny? I dunno. But I liked the part where you squeezed my breast." 

"Such a horn dog!" 

But as she spoke Arya began to stroke Yara's breast. The squeeze had been jokey and quick. This touch was languorous and arousing. Yara whimpered. 

"Oh, you're not complaining now, are you? If you think I'm an immature little shit I can stop." 

"No! Fuck Arya don't stop! I need this." 

Yara leaned in and kissed Arya. Arya was still stroking as they explored each other's mouths. Arya pinched Yara's nipple and Yara cried out breaking the kiss. 

"Ughgghhh. Mother fucker!! We're both wearing too many clothes." 

Arya moved her hand from Yara's chest and started pulling off her shirt and under things. Yara did the same. 

Arya was gorgeous. She had freckles on her shoulders. Arya seemed to be all muscle. Her arms and shoulders were powerful looking. And her breasts. Everyone talked about how flat chested she was but Arya’s breasts were beautiful: small but round and perfect. 

"You're looking at me like a hungry wolf. Are you going to gobble me up?" Arya said it in a way that suggested she hoped that Yara was going to do just that. 

"Arya, you are so beautiful. I do want to devour you. I want to lick every inch of you." 

Arya’s eyes shone with lust. She stood and stepped out of the boat. She pulled out the blanket from the hull and laid it on the sand. 

"We can be more comfortable. Come here you! Devour me." 

Yara would remember the image of Arya, topless, lying on her back on the blanket propped up by her elbows for the rest of her long life. She did not need to be asked twice. 

She was up, out of the boat, and out of her pants, under things, and lying beside Arya in a matter of seconds. 

"That was fast!" Arya arched an eyebrow. "You must be eager." 

Yara laughed. "Can I kiss you?" 

"Yara I just said 'devour me'! I think that covers kissing." 

"Consent is important." 

Arya dropped onto her back and held her arms out. 

"Oh yes!! Yara!!! Kiss me now!!!" 

"Brat." 

Yara leaned in and kissed Arya. Then she began to work down Arya’s body. She kissed every freckle on her shoulders. She licked gently behind both her ears and was rewarded with a deep moan from Arya. She licked her neck and gently nipped at it with her teeth which garnered a similarly positive response from Arya. 

"Yaaaara, you're so good at this!" 

Arya was idly stroking Yara's back. When Yara turned her tongue and teeth to Arya’s breasts Arya dug into Yara's back with her fingernails. 

Yara looked up at her. "You like it when I do this to you?" 

Arya nodded strenuously as if she had forgotten words. 

Yara slid down further. She idly played with Arya’s nipples as she kissed and licked into Arya’s belly button. Arya was moaning and writhing underneath her. Yara was so turned on she could hardly bear it. 

"You have too much clothing on. Can I take these off?"

"Please!"

Yara unbuttoned Arya’s pants and hooked her fingers under her pants and under things and pulled them down.

Looking down at Arya, flat on her back with her legs spread, her knees slightly raised, completely open almost made Yara come right there.

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." Yara couldn't help saying.

"Pfft. How did you get through your whole life never looking in a mirror?" Arya countered.

Yara threw her head back and laughed. Fuck that little satisfied half smile that lit up Arya’s face - ridiculously proud of herself - when she made Yara laugh was intoxicating.

"Well, the second most beautiful woman, I guess." Yara corrected. Arya giggled. Yara probably smiled that little smile at that point too.

She lightly ran her hands along Arya’s calves. Her skin was smooth and warm. Looking up to Arya’s face she noticed that Arya looked excited but very nervous.

"Hey, my little pip squeak, it's alright. I got you. If at any time you decide you want to fully stop or just take a break, you let me know. Doesn't matter how far we are, what we're doing. If you don't want it, it stops immediately." 

Arya nodded. "I do want it. I want it so badly. I'm... I'm just a bit nervous."

"It's ok to be nervous." Yara cooed as she moved closer, she drew circles on Arya’s knees. "I was shitting bricks on my first time."

Arya giggled nervously.

Yara began to kiss along Arya’s legs. She ran her tongue along the insides of Arya’s thighs one after the other. Arya’s skin tasted of the sea and sweat. It was soft and smooth. 

She found she was a bit nervous too. Yara was known, amongst a certain segment of Westerosi women as being a connoisseur of women's genitals. She lived for going down on women. She also had a reputation for being really good at it. But this was the first time anyone had ever done this to Arya. She needed to make Arya comfortable and she wanted Arya to like it. The thought of only doing this once was beyond upsetting to Yara. It had to be so good that Arya wanted it, was desperate for it. Yara was good to her word, if Arya didn't want anything, they weren't going to do that thing. And she wouldn't mope or try to talk Arya into it. But she hoped that getting eaten out wasn't one of the things that Arya didn't want to do.

She moved closer to Arya’s pussy and she could smell her. 

"You smell so good. I can't wait to taste you. 

Arya whimpered. Yara licked as close as she could get without touching Arya’s labia. The whimper turned into a moan. 

" Yara... Oh yes. I want your tongue in me. I want you to lick my cunt to till I come so hard I go numb." 

"So demanding..." 

"Please Yara. Please. I need it right now." 

Yara could not say no to Arya so she began to lick around the outside of her labia. Arya’s moans vibrated through her. She traced around her mound with a finger and then slowly slid it inside Arya. 

"Yes!!" Arya called out. 

Arya was so wet and warm. She wriggled trying to fuck herself on Yara's finger. Yara gently parted Arya’s lips with soft fingers and began to lick inside her cunt. She ran her tongue along Arya’s clit. Arya was panting hard and gripping the blanket beneath her hands. 

She tasted amazing. Just so completely like herself. Yara was entranced. But from the sounds coming from Arya it wasn't going to last that long. Yara swirled her tongue around the little nub of skin at the head of Arya’s clit. Arya moaned in pleasure. Yara alternated locking the length of Arya’s clit and circling around the head. Arya began to move her hips in time with Yara's licks. 

But nothing lasts forever and too soon Arya was moaning even louder than before and then convulsing. Yara could tell her pussy was too sensitive so she pulled away. Arya was straining to catch her breath. She looked thoroughly debauched and thoroughly satisfied. 

"You alright?" 

Yara lay down along side Arya again. 

Arya nodded. "More than... That was... How did you learn to do that so well?" 

"Practice?" 

"You must have had A LOT of practice because damn!" 

Yara laughed. "It's easy to be so enthusiastic when I'm doing it to someone as fucking hot as you." 

Arya grinned. "Well that makes sense. I am pretty hot." 

They both laughed. Yara reached for Arya and they began to kiss. For someone who had very little experience with these kinds of things, Arya was getting very good at all of it. 

Arya was touching Yara everywhere. Her hands with the trace of calluses stroked gently down Yara’s back then across her chest, down to her belly. Arya seemed entranced. 

"What can I do to you? How can I make you go blind with pleasure like you did for me?" 

"Everything you are doing is great." Yara realized that whilst nice, this comment wasn't super helpful to a beginner. 

"What you did the other day... You know, with your fingers? That drove me fucking crazy. And... you could... As many fingers as you can fit." 

Arya grinned slyly. She moved down to Yara's waist. She began to trace shapes on the skin just above Yara's pubic hair. It was maddening. Yara could feel her arousal and desperation rising. Arya was clearly doing this with purpose. 

" Are you teasing me, you little brat?"

Arya laughed. "I think you like it." 

"I mean... yes. But it's infuriating."

Arya just laughed, her fingers skimmed even closer to Yara's labia. Then she shifted and sat between Yara's legs and began to draw shapes on her inner thighs. Again she came maddeningly close to touching Yara's labia but didn't touch. Yara was panting and desperate. 

"Please Arya!" 

"Please what?" Arya said all innocent as if she had no idea how evil she was being. 

"Son of a Dornish whore, please fuck me with your Goddamn fingers!" 

Arya fake frowned. "Such language. So rude."

"I said please didn't I?" 

"Well, I guess you did." 

Arya finally slid her finger along Yara's clit. 

"Fucking bloody cunt!!" Yara yelled in pleasure. 

Arya looked like the cat that had swallowed the cream. 

"God, do you have any idea what you do to me Yara? With you dirty mouth and your dripping wet cunt. You are the most beautiful thing in all of creation. You make me so hot." 

Yara couldn't speak, she couldn't even swear. Inarticulate groans came out of her mouth. Arya had pushed two fingers into her. 

"Ughhhg fuck that feels good. But Ar?" 

"Yes my sweet?" 

"If you bend your fingers like you're doing a" come here" motion, you'll feel like ridged skin, if you... Holy fucking shit balls!! "

Arya had found the spot and was making the most of it. She added another finger and was using her thumb as well. Yara was paralyzed with pleasure. Her whole body was humming. This girl was a fucking witch there could be no other answer for how good she was at this. 

Yara was thrashing and crying. "Harder! Mother fuck that feels fucking amazing!"

She tried to hold off her orgasm to make this last but Arya and her magical devil hands made that impossible. She let go and the orgasm ripped through her body. She let out a deafening cry and arched her back, her eyes rolling back in her head. She could barely see and time just stopped. 

The next thing she knew Arya had stopped and pulled out and and was rubbing Yara's arm. 

"Are you alright?" Arya’s eyes were huge and wide with fear. "Did I... um... Did I break you?" 

Arya

Yara's eyelids half opened heavily. Was she ok? Had Arya given her a heart attack? Yara squinted at Arya. Then as if she could finally see the expression of fear on Arya’s face she spoke. 

"Oh! No, Arya, I'm fine. I am *really* good actually! That was.... I don't even have words for what that did to me. I just need a moment to get myself together. Yara held her arms out to Arya. Come lie here with me. I mean, if you want to." 

Arya very much did want to and was in Yara's arms before she finished speaking. She snuggled into Yara's side. It was a spot she had, perhaps foolishly, started to think of as her sleeping spot. 

Yara began to lazily play with Arya’s hair. 

"Thank you. That was out of this world. I am sorry I scared you with my reaction." 

"Any time. Literally. I have a lot of lost time to make up for." 

Yara laughed. "Seriously though, how are you so good at this when you've never done it before?" 

"I dunno. Beginner's luck? But, you've done it a lot, what was different about this?" 

"I guess it is that I have been with a lot of women who don't have a lot of experience with women. They like me cuz I'm tough like a man but I treat them like a lady. And they... Well sometimes they don't reciprocate or they... Like they don't really like doing stuff to a woman."

"So I am good at it cuz I'm not a straight woman tricking you into giving me an amazing orgasm then going away cuz I think pussies are" icky". In other words, it's not that I'm all that amazing at sex, but most of your partners are very inconsiderate and bad at it?"

"I mean when you say it like that, it sounds like I am pathetic. But those women have been brutalized and have never had their pleasure taken seriously. How are they supposed to take mine seriously when no one has modelled that for them? I don't know if they are straight but sex has only ever been violence for them. I can't make them do something that doesn't feel good." 

Arya felt so sad for Yara in this moment. She felt another thing that she wasn't ready to acknowledge yet. 

"Oh Goober, I could never think you were pathetic." 

She traced shapes on Yara's shoulder. Since this had started she wanted to be touching Yara at all times. 

"You are so kind, gentle, and giving. What you do for those women is so generous. But... you need to feel pleasure too. You deserve to feel good. Who is looking out for and caring about your pleasure?" 

"I can do for myself. I am not going orgasmless." 

"Yes, but... Oh I don't know. Sometimes, and I am speaking from experience as a very self-sufficient person, sometimes it's nice to have someone look after you." 

Was she going to scare Yara away? Was she going to scare herself away? It was not at all like Arya to be admitting that she needed anyone. It was easy to say she wanted Yara. Arya had never been so attracted to another person before. But she suspected she was starting to need Yara. It was terrifying to be so dependent on another person. What if Yara didn’t need her? What if Yara got bored of her? Was Yara only with her because there was literally no other women around and she was horny and bored? What would happen if they had landed on an island of beautiful but traumatized bi-curious women? Arya doubted she would be able to compete.

Yara's arm tightened subtly around Arya. "You do a very good job of looking after me, pip squeak." 

Arya’s heart soared. But she didn't know what to say. There was so much she couldn’t even put into words about how she felt about Yara. She didn’t even know herself what she felt. So she changed the subject. 

"I think we smell really bad. We should wash in the ocean and then get dressed and explore." 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

“I think we should go that way. I think it leads to water.” Yara pointed.

“But this way seems like an easier path and we have water right now. We need food.” Arya’s stomach was starting to rumble. 

“But maybe if we find fresh water, we’ll find fish?” 

“Fine Goober. I’ll trust your nose. Besides being incredibly sexy it is rarely wrong.” 

Yara rolled her eyes. “My nose isn’t particularly sexy.” She started off on the first path with Arya just behind her.

“But would you say your nose is part of your face?”

“I would say that, because duh.” 

“And would you say that your face is part of you in general?” 

“Where are you going with this Ar?” 

“Well…?” 

“Fine, yes, my face is part of me in general.” 

“Erego…" Arya got up in Yara’s face, “You are sexy in general, so your face is sexy. Soooo your nose is sexy too.” Arya leaned in and pulled Yara’s face down into a kiss. Then as she broke the kiss she pushed on Yara’s nose.

“Boop.”

Yara laughed. “You’re such a weirdo Arya Stark.” 

“Yup.” 

They continued walking. The trees and vines were thick so Arya had no more time for jokes as they were both concentrating on hacking through trees. The day was hot and though the dense forest gave them some protection from the sun, the humidity clung to them. After what seemed to Arya like a long time Yara stopped in her tracks.

“Do you hear that?” 

Arya listened. Sometimes she wondered if Yara was some sort of witch or something. Her senses seemed so much better developed than anyone else’s. 

“Sorry, what am I supposed to be hearing? Is a butterfly flapping its wings two islands over or something?”

“Brat. No, I think I hear water.” 

They continued along and eventually Arya could hear it too. It sounded like a babbling brook. In a few minutes they made it to a clearing. There was a stream running across. Yara walked to the bank, knelt down and cupped her hand and brought some water to her mouth. 

“It’s fresh water!” She said with a smile. “Hand me the skin, I’ll fill it up!” 

Arya looked around. She suddenly had a sense of movement. She turned with the bow and quiver she had taken from the pirates and let loose an arrow piercing a small mammal before she even had time to think about it.

“Look at you and your uncanny hunting skills!” Yara said appreciatively.

Arya went over to look at the animal. It was furry and looked like it had enough meat on it to feed them. She smiled to herself. Yara had her water skills and Arya could hunt things. It felt so freeing to only be hunting animals and not people. 

“Should we be worried about whatever animal eats these little guys?” Arya asked as she slung the animal onto her back. This was the first one she had seen so there had to be something keeping their population down. 

“We need to keep our wits about us, I guess. So no distracting me with your big sexy eyes!” 

Arya laughed and batted her eyes at Yara. Yara laughed but also looked at Arya hungrily. Arya had never thought of herself as someone who inspired lust in people. Gendry did give her lots of puppy dog looks after they slept together but had barely really noticed her before she approached him. But Yara often looked at her with uncontrolled lust. It was a weird sort of power to have. 

And with Yara it was even more complicated. Sometimes when the sun hit Yara’s flaxen hair or when her eyes gleamed with excitement Arya felt utterly lost. She would literally do anything that Yara asked her to. She was completely in her power. But other times, sometimes at the same time, she would have said something silly or be joking around and Yara would look at her intensely. Then it looked like Yara was the one who was lost. But maybe they were both lost in each other? 

Arya had been too scared to ask Yara about what she was feeling. What if this was just how Yara acted with her various flings? The woman had outright said that she didn’t ever tie herself to another. She said that she was incapable of love. Arya had learned through her short life so far that when someone told you something about how they were, you should believe them. 

They headed back to their camp. Arya scanned the forest for signs of animals. Beyond the birds whose joyful songs filled the air there were no signs. But then she sensed movement. She gripped Yara’s arm, silently willing her to stop. Yara understood and froze, her hand on her sword. 

There was the sound of branches snapping and definite movement. Arya squinted and saw it. It was a large female. It looked like a deer but had different markings than the deer in Westeros. It was happily munching on leaves. Arya hoped this meant it only ate plants. She motioned with her head subtly and Yara looked over. Seeing the deer she mimed a bow and arrow questioningly. Arya shook her head and pointed at the dead animal she was already carrying. At some point they would need to kill one of these deer creatures but they had enough for tonight with the same mammal that looked like a groundhog but wasn’t quite. 

They continued one quietly and saw three more of the deer creatures before they returned to their camp. Arriving at their camp, Arya set the animal carcass down and set about skinning it. 

“So there are two kinds of animals that we know of here. Something has to eat them. I wonder if there are wolves?” 

Yara looked around questioningly. “Well hopefully they are satisfied with eating the deer and don’t come after us. But we need to be careful at night. Lots of predators hunt at night.” 

“Agreed. I’m going to skin this little guy here so we can have some lunch!” Arya had been trying to ignore the pangs in her stomach but they were getting the better of her. 

Yara quickly assembled wood and started a fire with a flint she had in her pocket. 

Arya found she was surprisingly quick at skinning the animal and she stretched the hide on a tree with some knives so it would dry. She wondered if Yara could sew. They could stitch some hides together to make a blanket. After dealing with the animal fur she noticed Yara had left her a stick to roast the meat. Yara was over in the woods cutting down branches. Was she building a stock pile of firewood? 

Arya busied herself with making the meat. They didn’t have any vegetables and she wasn’t sure what was edible and what was poisonous. It smelled so good she was tempted to eat it half cooked. Finally it was ready. 

“Yara! The food is ready.” 

“Just a sec.” 

A minute later Yara emerged from the woods with a huge bundle of wood in her arms. She set it down and bounded over to where Arya was trying to find something to use as a plate. 

“What are you doing in there?”

“Just had an idea, you’ll see.”

Yara

They both descended on the animal carcass and had it stripped in no time. After they lay on the soft sand digesting.

“That was so good. Why did I eat it so fast?” 

“I’m so full!” 

"Hey, Yar, can you sew?" 

"A little, but that would require needle and thread." 

"Oh dammit! You're right. Ugh. You know there are moments when I think: 'We could just stay here forever.' But then I think about things like pirates, winter, predators, edible plants, or whatever and it seems impossible."

Yara rolled to her side and propped herself up on her arm. 

"Hey, pip squeak, it's alright. We'll survive somehow. We kicked the pirate's butts, winter's a long way off, we'll hunt the predators, we'll try a little bit of the plant and if we don't get sick we can eat it, we can do it." 

She gently pushed the hair back from Arya’s face and stroked her cheek. 

"We make a great team." 

Arya nodded. She looked like she might say something but didn't. Yara didn't really know how to comfort her. She wanted to make promises that she would always be able to protect them and keep them both safe. But she couldn’t make those promises. Ellaria Sand had learned that lesson. 

“Come here pip squeak.”

Yara pulled Arya into her arms. Arya snuggled in. Yara gently stroked her hair. She loved feeling Arya’s warmth, feeling her breathing against her. Yara thought again about how different Arya was from anyone she had ever slept with. Not all of Yara’s conquests had been fancy aristocratic women. But even the ones who dressed more masculine like Arya did were nothing like her. 

She worried, though, that Arya was with her because of the circumstances. Yara imagined if any straight woman had to choose between the scurvy bunch of idiots on Yara’s ship and Yara it would be an easy choice. But what if they came upon good looking and kind men? Arya was pretty enthusiastic when they had sex but that didn’t mean she wasn’t missing parts of it. 

“I think I should do some hunting. We’ll need food for dinner.” 

“Will you be okay by yourself?” 

“Yara, I’ve been okay by myself for the last ten years. I will be careful and watch out for wolves. Of the animal or human variety.” 

They both got up and Arya packed up some weapons. She paused before she set off, came over to Yara, kissed her on the cheek, and headed out. 

Yara returned to her project. She thought they could do with some more stable shelter so had set about to make a little cabin. Perhaps this would make Arya feel more secure whilst they slept. It was good to have a puzzle to work through of which logs to place where. It was a welcome distraction from the fact that they were on an island that may or may not have everything they needed to sustain them. Yara suspected that at some point they would have to move on. But until then she could indulge in the fantasy that she and Arya would always be together. 

* * * * * * *

“Wow!! You built all of this when I was hunting?!” 

Arya had done that invisible sneaking up on Yara thing again. Yara jumped as she was putting mud in the cracks between the logs. 

“Do you like it?” 

Arya was laden down with several of the small mammals and her bag was full of leafy things. She set the animals, her bag, and weapons down and came over to inspect the shelter.

“I still have to do the roof and finish up the mud parts. It was really quick, so it probably won't withstand any kind of harsh weather. But it’s a bit more secure than sleeping in the boat.” 

Arya looked impressed, Yara thought to herself feeling quite proud. Before she could even react Arya had her in a big bear hug. 

“What did I do to deserve you??” Arya said into her shoulder. “I’m so lucky.” 

"I'm so lucky! Look at all this food!" 

"These little critters are almost too easy to catch. It makes me feel bad!" 

"Will you still feel bad when they are roasting on the spit and smelling so delicious?" 

Arya laughed. "Probably not. You keep on with building our castle and I will deal with these guys." 

She paused and leaned in to kiss Yara. Their encounter this morning seemed so long ago. Yara hungrily kissed her back. 

Arya pulled away. "To be continued..." She said suggestively as she walked over to her bag. Yara was suddenly motivated to work much faster on their shelter. 

They both worked on their respective projects for the rest of the afternoon. It felt so domestic. Yara knew it was a mirage, definitely temporary, but was determined to enjoy it whilst it lasted.

It was the golden hour before sunset when Yara was putting the final touches on the shelter. It was definitely temporary. It would hold up to some rain, maybe, but not particularly harsh winds. 

Arya

The food was delicious. Arya had tested out some of the plants and they seemed edible and they went well with the meat. After they had finished eating, the sun was beginning to disappear from the sky.

"Wow, gorgeous and she can cook!"

Yara came up behind her and circled her arms around her waist. Arya leaned back into Yara. Yara had just finished banking the fire for the night. 

"Oh you! This is just passable." 

"Well you're wrong but I am grateful for you making the food. Building shelter really works up an appetite." 

Arya turned to face Yara. 

"And I am grateful for the structure. Maybe we should head inside it and show each other our mutual gratitude?" 

Arya didn't think she would ever get over the thrill she felt seeing Yara's eyes darken in lust when Arya said something suggestive. 

"Excellent idea!" 

Yara scooped Arya up into her arms. Arya’s stomach flipped in anticipation. She carried Arya into the hut. It was cool and dim and smelled deliciously of freshly cut wood. She had spread the blanket out in the hut and she gently laid Arya down onto it and lay beside her. 

"My next project is to make a bed but I don't know if I have the tools." 

Arya rolled into Yara's side and was gently playing with her hair. 

"I really lucked out in stranded on a desert island companions!" 

"Me too! You're why we're eating so well." 

Arya had an idea. 

"I want to tell you a secret, can I whisper it in your ear?" 

"Arya, there is no one for miles to hear." 

"I know, but I'm shy so I want to whisper it." 

"But…" 

"Please!!" 

"Alright, fine." 

Arya leaned into Yara's ear as if to whisper and then licked her ear. 

"Arya you little shit!!" 

Arya cackled with laughter. 

"You're going to pay for that!" 

Yara rolled over onto Arya and pinned her arms over her head. 

"Oooh I hope so!" Arya said as she squirmed. She had no intention of escaping Yara's hold but wriggling around made the game more fun.

Yara leaned down and licked Arya’s ear. It did feel pretty gross. 

"Oh baby, your tongue is so hot in my ear." Arya could barely keep a straight face. Yara was laughing too. 

"I'll show you hot, you little brat!" Any chance of menace in Yara's statement was undone by her giggles. 

But then Yara started licking behind Arya’s ear, sucking and lightly biting her earlobe, and continuing to lick down her neck. Arya’s laugh turned into a whimper of pleasure. 

Yara let go of Arya’s arms and began to work on getting Arya’s shirt off. As she tossed it aside she looked down hungrily at her. 

"You are so beautiful." 

Arya would never get tired of hearing that from Yara. She was about to reply with something about Yara's gorgeousness but Yara had bent down and was circling her tongue around one of Arya’s nipples. 

Arya arched her back in pleasure. Yara was paying attention to Arya’s other nipple. Arya felt hot and tingly all over. She had her hands on Yara's shoulders. 

"You have too many clothes on. I want to feel my skin on your skin." She groaned. 

"Easy enough to fix." Yara had released Arya and sat up whilst removing her shirt in one fluid movement. 

Yara was tanned on her face and arms but her chest was pale. Her breasts were beautiful. Her areola were flushed with blood and her nipples were erect before Arya began to stroke Yara's breasts, working into her nipples which had hardened in excitement. 

"You have witch hands." Yara moaned. "How are you even doing this to me?" 

Arya laughed and kissed Yara. Yara pressed her back down again and continued to kiss and lick. 

"Can I try going down on you?" Arya’s voice was small. "I don't know if you like having it done to you or... I mean I haven't ever done it so..." 

Yara had sat up again and was looking at Arya with pure lust and started pulling her pants off. 

"Yes. I do. If you can do so much with your hands, I want to see what you can do with your tongue!" 

Arya laughed nervously. She positioned herself astride Yara. And slowly she began to kiss and lick down Yara's chest. She was incredibly turned on but also terrified. What if she was bad at this? And what if she couldn't do it? What if she was grossed out by Yara's vagina? What if she was just like those selfish women Yara had slept with who refused to reciprocate? Yara wouldn't mind, she was sure. Yara would be happy to just do for Arya and wouldn't complain. But that wasn't what Arya wanted in a relationship. 

She began to lick just above Yara's pubic hair, Yara moaned. And then she went for it. She spread Yara's legs and moved her head to Yara's pussy. It took her breath away. The folds of skin that were reddened with desire were so beautiful to her. She ran her finger along the folds, entranced. 

"Mother fucking fuck!" Yara exclaimed. 

Yara's swearing emboldened Arya and she began to explore with her tongue. Yara was so warm and wet. Arya could not have put in words what she tasted like, just so completely like Yara. Arya couldn't have put anything in words at that moment. She was so painfully turned on. How had she worried she would be grossed out by this? Her fear now was that she would never want to stop. That she would want to spend every day just eating Yara's pussy. 

Based on the current of profanity streaming from Yara's mouth at this point, Yara probably wouldn't mind that either. 

Arya began to experiment with her tongue, licking here, swirling there. When something worked well - and Yara really started swearing - she would continue to do that. But too soon she   
could hear a desperation in Yara's moans and cries. She knew Yara was close. She continued to lick but also slid several fingers into Yara's hole and began to thrust in time with Yara's movements. 

At this point, Yara's cries became less words and more incoherent screams. And then, her back arching, she convulsed and screamed. And then like the time before, she went limp. Arya pulled out and lay beside Yara face to face. 

Yara was doing that eyes glazed over thing again. It scared Arya a little but she was now used to it. It made her a little proud that she could completely undo Yara like that. She gently rubbed Yara's arm. 

"You're.... Holy fuck.... I can't even... Come here." Yara managed to get out, holding her arms open. 

Arya curled into Yara's side as Yara enveloped her in her arms. 

“I just need to rest for a few minutes but I will return the favour once I get my breath back…” Yara gasped out. 

"Oh, I have time, goober." 

They lay breathing for moments. 

"Ar, do you… Well I mean… when we have sex. Do you wish there was a penis there?" 

"You mean life just a random severed penis lying on the sand? No that's gross, and like, who did it belong to?" 

"Goofball. I just mean, do you miss feeling it?" 

"No, not really. Do I seem like I am missing anything when I am grunting in pleasure and calling out your name?"

"No… I just wondered. I used to have… It's like a harness that has a fake dick. Some times, you know, if you miss it." 

"But can I not miss men and still want you to fuck me with a fake penis?" 

Yara laughed, "Hell yes!" 

"Anyway," Arya continued, "you don't have one so we don't need to worry about it." 

"True. But I do have fingers." She was lightly tracing her hand down Arya’s torso. 

Arya felt that tingling feeling again. Yara was magical with her hands. Arya didn't know where all the penis talk was coming from but she did not need anything but Yara’s fingers and tongue. 

"Mmmmmm, those fingers are doing a fine job. Are they going to fuck me?" 

Yara leaned and spoke softly in Arya’s ear, "Yes, I'm going to tease you awhile, bring my finger close to your cunt but not touch it. I'm going to make you wild with desire." 

Yara was good to her word. Her fingers were everywhere but Arya’s pussy. They were gently but insistent. Arya felt like she was on fire. 

"Please Yara. Please fuck me now." 

She wanted it so badly. But Yara continued to tease her mercilessly. 

"I'm going to fuck you, but not for awhile yet."

To be extra evil Yara started stroking one of Arya’s breasts with her other hand. 

"Ughghg what are you even doing to me? Please Yara. Please." 

"You're desperate for it, aren't you?" 

"Yes, please do it now. I want to feel your fingers inside me."

"Alright." 

Yara pushed into Arya’s hole and began to run a finger along Arya’s clit. 

"Yes! Yara, so good!" 

It felt amazing, her whole body tingled and she felt this delicious pressure mounting on her. It was almost too much. She cried out which turned her on more. 

"Harder!" she cried. 

Yara began to thrust deeper and faster. Arya felt like she might completely come apart. And then it was like a mini explosion - the orgasm ignited in her. She cried out again and was lost to orgasmic convulsions. 

"Thank you!" she panted. 

Yara kissed the top of her head. 

"Thank you." Yara said back. 

It was almost as if those two words were a substitute for three much scarier words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	6. Leaving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danger rears its head again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very short little connector chapter

Yara

Yara sniffed the air. Shit. Trouble was most definitely coming. The idyl of the last two weeks was about to be destroyed. 

It was never going to have lasted anyway. The last two weeks had been like something out of a dream. Or not even. Yara was given to having dreams about her brother and uncle returning as zombies or that she was addressing her crew but suddenly realized she had forgotten to put on pants. She had never had dreams like the last two weeks. 

Thanks to Arya they had eaten incredibly well. They had spent days exploring the island which, it turned out, did have a wolf or two but they were terrified of humans and kept well away from the camp. Perhaps it was because they started leaving half of the meat they caught and cooked far away from their camp for the wolves to eat. 

And then there had been the nights… And mornings… and even occasionally afternoons. Arya was endlessly ingenious when it came to sex. She always found new and different ways to completely destroy Yara. And that in turn inspired Yara to experiment and do different things. And almost equally enjoyable was after they had made love. Sometimes Arya was goofy and did and said ridiculous things to make Yara laugh. Sometimes she wanted to cuddle and be affectionate. Other times she got quiet and reserved and wanted Yara to tell her stories about her life and adventures. The longer they spent together the more Yara began to see all of Arya’s sides. She loved to be silly and goofy but she had a very serious side. 

Arya still occasionally had nightmares. Yara would gently wake her up and comfort her. And there were days when that nightmare would linger. But Yara would be extra affectionate with Arya on those days and soon enough her smile was back. 

Yara was utterly and completely in love with Arya. But she had still not said anything. Feeling so bound to another person terrified her. She was still so afraid that she wouldn’t be good enough in so many ways. She worried she didn’t deserve Arya. Arya was a bright diamond who was always thinking, always conscious and clever. 

But now danger, probably the pirates, was on its way. They'd have to leave all this behind. 

"What's wrong? Where's the danger?" Arya had noticed Yara's alarm. 

"We have to leave here. The pirates are coming. There are too many of them. They will catch us if we stay here." 

"Damnit. Ok, you gather tools and the weapons and I'll deal with the food. We can only fit essentials in the boat." Arya was so sexy when she was in competent battle planning mode. 

"Ar, we want to make it look a bit like we're still here. It might slow them down if they search the island for us."

They rushed about getting ready. By the time they had gathered everything the ship could be seen far off in the distance. 

" We'll have to carry the boat closer to the other side so they don't see us." 

The boat was heavy and it took all of their combined strength to get it out of the pirate ship's sight line. They rested for a short while before launching the boat. 

"Ar, I need to tell you something..."

Arya looked at her, her eyes wide.

“I love you!” Arya blurted out. 

“You little brat! I wanted to say it first.” Yara pretended to be offended. 

Arya stuck her tongue out. 

“Come here pip squeak. I love you too!”

Yara pulled Arya into her arms and captured her lips in a kiss. It was leisurely and sweet. Yara wanted more. She had to ball one of her hands into a fist to avoid stroking down to Arya’s pants. 

“Ar, we don’t have time for anything else but we’ll get through this. We’ll find another island just like this one.” 

Arya nodded sadly. “I’m going to miss this little island. And the hut you built. Both have been good to us.” 

Yara nodded. They began to push the boat into the water. 

Arya 

They had rowed for hours without so much as a hint of land. But Yara was confident the pirates weren’t on their trail yet. Arya was getting tired but they would have to keep going. Neither of them liked the idea of spending the night on the open sea again. 

Arya tensed when she noticed Yara sniff the air in that way she did when danger was near.

“Have they found our trail?” Arya asked disheartedly. Their odds would have been better to stay on the island, at least there were places there they could hide.

“Well, yes, I think so. But that is not what I smell. No, it’s land. I think we need to go to it. I feel safety coming from it.”

Arya had learned immediately not to distrust Yara’s hunches. They were never wrong. 

“We just have to shift course slightly and we’ll be heading for it.”

Arya nodded as they shifted their boat’s position. She still couldn’t see this island but the day was hazy and visibility wasn’t great. 

They rowed for another hour before Arya could see the island. It almost appeared out of nowhere. Arya breathed a sigh of relief. Her arms were aching and the Pirate ship was off in the distance steadily gaining on them. 

As they got closer they could see the land was rocky cliffs that came together with a small passageway through to presumably a bay. When they had almost reached it Yara stopped rowing.

“We need to stop and float. There are people up there. We need to negotiate.”

Arya’s stomach turned over. People were the last thing she wanted to deal with on an island. But she complied.

A small boat was approaching them. 

"There are archers on the cliffs." Arya warned. 

"We'll be ok." 

As the boat neared Arya could see that both of its passengers were women. 

"Who goes there?" One of them called out.

"We are on the run from pirates. We are seeking to shelter on this island. The pirates are on our trail." 

The boat was almost upon them. 

"Yara Greyjoy - as I live and breathe!" The second one called out. 

"Pamela? It's been years! How are you?" Yara was smiling. 

"I am very well! You are both welcome here!" The woman - Pamela - replied. "Let them pass! They're safe! But pirates are on their way. Be ready!" She called up to the archers. One of whom blew a horn, presumably this was to let everyone know not to attack them, Arya hoped.

"Follow us to shore. It's so good to see you again!" 

They began to follow the boat. Was this woman a former girlfriend of Yara's? She didn't look like Yara’s type, but then again neither did Arya.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	7. Free Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The marvelous island that is West of Westeros

“Welcome!”

They had disembarked from their boat and were greeted by a tall dark - and absolutely gorgeous - woman. She was dressed in a simple shift dress.

“I’m Leela. This is Free Island. We are so glad you found us.”

They shook the woman’s hand.

“I’ve heard a lot about you Miss Greyjoy, ” Leela said.

“Uh, you have?” Yara seemed perplexed.

Leela laughed, it sounded like gently tinkling glass. “Of course. I should explain our island. We are where everyone comes to escape Westeros. We’re a sanctuary. Those who are attacked and victimised in Westeros are welcomed. If they are lucky, they make their way here. We are mostly women here but there are some men as well as those who do not fit in either category.”

Both Yara and Arya looked around amazed. There were several huts just off the beach as well as a trail that led to a large structure. There were women sitting one the beach sewing and others drying fish.

“Come to our meeting hall. You can meet everyone.”

They followed Leela up the path to the hall. The two women from the boat followed behind.

“And you are?” She gazed at Arya.

“Arya Stark,” she said quietly.

“I’ve heard about you too. Although I suspect some of it is untrue? There was something about a brick thrown at Cersei.”

Seriously? That story and made it here?

“I doubt it’s veracity but acknowledge it makes more sense than the truth of the situation.”

Yara giggled and elbowed Arya. Arya rolled her eyes.

“Both of you have suffered a great deal at the hands of violent men and women. We aim to keep those forces from Free Island. We abhor violence but are not afraid to use it against those who would disturb our peace, who would do violence to our residents. You are both safe here, for as long as you would like to stay. If you would like to stay. You spoke of pirates?”

“My ship was attacked by pirates. They killed my entire crew.” Yara took a deep breath. Arya subtly put a hand on her arm. “We were the only survivors. They figured they could get a lot of money for us so they kept us alive.”

Leela nodded empathetically. “I am so sorry that happened to you. If they come here they will be punished.”

Yara continued. "We killed their Captain… he was a brutal man. And we escaped.”

“This captain, did he have red hair?”

“Yes.”

“I am speechless, Bloody Jim. Someone finally got him.” Leela looked impressed. “We are eternally grateful to you both.”

“It was Yara who actually killed him. She was very brave.” It didn’t seem right to take credit for something she hadn’t done. It also seemed like a bad idea to bring up that Yara had stolen her signature move to do it...

“But you got us free, Arya. It was a team effort.”

Leela smiled at them. “We are very grateful to you both. Many of our islanders faced violence at his hands.”

They had reached the hut. A gorgeous Blonde woman was ringing a bell beside the hut.

"We will gather everyone to meet you." Leela explained as she ushered them into the hall.

There was a long open room with benches on either side. Two red haired women were positioning three large chairs at the front of the room.

Was every woman on this island completely gorgeous? Everyone she had seen so far was incredibly beautiful. There were women of many different races, there were women of vastly different size and body shape, there were women of all ages from children to grannies: all of them were gorgeous. How was plain Jane Arya going to compete with that?

She looked at Yara. She was obviously noticing how attractive everyone was.

"Why is everyone so hot?" Arya whispered.

"I think it's the freedom and lack of fear."

"Please, come sit at the front with me." Leela gestured to them to follow her to the front.

Arya felt so vulnerable. She didn't think any of the people were dangerous but compared to them she felt so ordinary and boring. Was Yara going to regret her romantic words now that there were more - and better - options?

Almost as if she sensed Arya’s discomfort, Yara reached down and took Arya’s hand. They walked together to the front of the room. It was strange, holding Yara's hand made Arya so much more comfortable.

Leela saw them holding hands and smiled knowingly and approvingly.

"Welcome my friends!" Leela said when all the residents - except for those on watch on the cliffs - had filed in. They were mostly all women but there were some men.

"Today we welcome two very special guests who I hope will choose to stay here with us. I know some of you know of Yara Greyjoy of the Iron Islands." She gestured to Yara. "But some of you may not know, she and her companion were taken by Captain Bloody Jim and his men. Not only did they escape but Yara did what we have wanted to do for so long. She killed Bloody Jim!"

There was thunderous applause and whooping from the audience. Yara went beet red.

"Please," she called out. "Arya helped too!"

Leela smiled beatifically. "And of course our other guest is Arya Stark of Winterfell! She defeated the Night King as well as those bastards in House Frey."

There was a cheer from a section of the audience. Perhaps some of the women that Walder Frey had enslaved had made it here?

"Please make our guests welcome. Bloody Jim's men are headed our way. We will ask those of you who can fight to load some boats or join the archers. We want to try and board so we can rescue any prisoners before we destroy their ship. Commander Ashanti will assign you boats. Archers can head to the cliffs to join those already there on watch. Commander Brigitte will take you. Ground fighters stay with me and we will ready ourselves in case any pirates get through."

Leela pointed at two fierce looking women in body armour at the back of the room. There was a rumble of voices. Many of the women filed to the back of the room. Excitement was in the air.

Lerla turned to Arya and Yara. "Our island is whispered of in Westeros. It is known that if those who are oppressed and victimized there can make it to us, they are welcome. But Bloody Jim and his men have been preying on those vulnerable travellers. They hope to sell them to slavers. We often send small boats out to rescue captives but no one had had the bravery to kill Bloody Jim till you two."

Arya had no idea what to say.

"How can we help?" She finally settled on.

"Oh little soldier. I am sure you must be exhausted from your travels. You can both stay on the beach with us. That ship doesn't stand a chance against our boats and archers but if they make it through we will need you both."

Yara

They only had to wait an hour for the pirate ship to approach. It was able to move through the water much faster than either Arya or she could row. Yara thanked the universe for the existence of Free Island. She felt very relaxed. The crew on Bloody Jim's ship was much diminished from their fight with Yara's ship. They would be no match for this force. Besides, she smelled victory in the air.

It gave her a chance to take in Free Island. As they say on the beach she could see numerous comfortable looking huts. All the boats that went out to meet the pirate's appeared to be fishing boats. There was a section off of the beach with a great many tables that appeared to be a dining area. It was all beautiful and so well arranged.

"Excuse me?" A small voice asked. "Arya, is it true that you threw the rock that killed Cersei?" It was an alarmingly beautiful young man. Yara guessed he would have been a target in King's Landing for his effeminate beauty. The man with him looked equally as stunning.

"Dummy, that's not true, " the second man said. "Even though it makes more sense than what actually happened. It isn't true is it, Miss Arya?"

Arya laughed lightly and shook her head. "I did nothing useful at King's Landing that day," she said sadly.

"We were there," the first man said, "we barely escaped. It's only because we were hiding out. Lawrence's," he motioned to his companion. "brother caught us, you know, together. And so we fled. He would have killed us. We had already arranged passage on a ship. So we were hiding near the harbour. And once the dragon attacked, well it missed the harbour. We left as soon as the dragon got tired." He looked haunted the way Arya did if King's Landing ever came up.

"I'm sorry you both had to see that. I still have nightmares," Arya admitted.

"We do too," Lawrence said.

"I'm Aiden, by the way. And this is Lawrence."

They all shook hands.

"How did you know to come here?" Yara asked.

"My cousin Lydia." Aiden replied. "She ran away from her horrible husband. She sent a raven to me to tell me about this place. She met her wife here and is very happy."

"You can send ravens to Westeros from here?" Arya asked.

"Yes! It's a very complicated system. There are other islands that relay the message, to try to keep our location secret. So it takes a long time. But you can do it. You go see Esme. She's one of the oldest residents here. She cares for the ravens." Lawrence answered.

"Amazing. Thank you!"

"No problem." Lawrence looked nervously to the sea. We don't really fight so we're heading to our cabin. But if you need clothes, we both specialize in tailoring." This explained the simple beauty of both of their tunics. "We'd be honoured to make you both something, you know, as a thank you for what you did to Bloody Jim."

"Thank you!" Arya said.

As the two young men wandered off arm in arm Arya looked at Yara.

"Is this place for real?" Yara asked.

"I have no idea. What does your nose tell you?"

"It smells safe. I almost didn't recognize the smell. It's been so long since I felt well and truly safe."

Arya nodded.

"Except, I mean, when I'm with you. You make me feel safe like I never have before."

Arya scooted over into Yara's arms.

"Same. I love you."

"I love you too. And, I know there are a lot of beautiful women here. But you're the only one I want to look at."

Then there was a flurry of activity. The pirate ship had arrived. There were shouts and screams and then a large explosion. Eventually the women returned victorious.

When everyone had landed safely Yara looked for her friend Pamela.

"Just going to catch up with Pam, you want to come?"

"I'm good here," replied Arya.

"Pammy! You made it! Congrats."

"Yar! It was awesome. The ship comes up, right? And it's like they chose their worst speaker to negotiate. He calls out, 'We don't care about you whores. Just give us them sluts that murdered our Captain in cold blood!' And we were like, 'Never!'. Then they go to fire their cannon at us but our archers kept getting their guns men. We're stalling at this point cuz Yasmin and Alicia snuck on board to look for prisoners. But they also set a bomb and they sneak off and boom! The ship blows!"

"Amazing!" Yara enthused.

"Made my day to see those bastards sink. They got me on my way here too, you know?" Pamela admitted. "It was bad. I still have scars."

"I'm so sorry."

"Oh, I survived and now I have Sasha to take my mind off of the past." Pamela pointed to a gorgeous Black woman joking with Leela and Ashanti.

"Good for you Pammy!"

"Right!? But look at you! That Stark girl sure grew up well."

Arya was somewhere in the crowd but Yara couldn't immediately see her.

"Pammy, she's amazing. Seriously. What the fuck did I do to deserve a goddess like her? She's really funny and sweet but also tough and a bit terrifying. I am so smitten."

"Yara Greyjoy, in love! I never thought I would see the day! The amount of girls who came crying on my shoulder cuz you didn't love them…"

"It wasn't that many. And those women were beautiful and sexy and I admired them greatly. But they didn't make me laugh. They didn't keep me on my toes. With Arya, I never know what she's thinking. It's always a pleasant surprise the way her mind works. She's the one for me. There isn't any other. "

"You're going to make me blush, Goober." Arya, the little shit, had used her secret ninja power to sneak up on Yara and Pam.

"Brat." She put an arm around Arya and said to Pamela: "This is Arya."

Pamela smiled. "So great to meet you!"

Arya shook her hand. "Likewise."

Leela strode over to them.

"My friends, we have moved all of the contents of your boat into one of our cabins. You can both stay there as long as you need. If you decide to stay with us, and we hope you do. We ask that you help out with tasks: keeping watch, hunting, fishing, teaching the children, fixing the cabins and building new ones, cooking. There are so many things to do we can place on the tasks you like the most. Please follow me, I'll show you to your cabin."

Arya

The cabin assigned to them was beautiful. It was relatively small but felt so comfortable. Arya could see herself living there.

Leela had just left and Arya and Yara had the cabin to themselves.

"A bed!" Yara nearly pounced on the bed.

"Don't break it, goober," Arya said, laughing. But also seeing Yara spread out on the bed quickened her pulse. She quickly kicked off her boots and was unbuttoning her shirt.

"Now you look like a hungry wolf that is going to gobble me up." Yara was giving Arya her best 'come hither' look while also removing clothes.

Arya stalked towards the bed and growled in a way that she intended to be sexy but resulted in both her and Yara collapsing in a fit of giggles.

They quickly helped each other out of their remaining clothes and lay there naked, on their sides, gazing at each other.

"This is our bed! In our cabin! Can you believe it?" Yara was so excited.

"I know!"

Yara began to play with the hair that framed Arya’s face.

"Do you want to stay here?"

"Only if you are staying too, Yara."

Yara's smile melted Arya. Arya continued, "you're my home. If you will have me, I will be by your side forever."

Tiny tears formed in Yara's eyes. "If I'll have you? Arya if you'll have me!"

Arya leaned in and kissed Yara. Arya’s head spun. She thought of all the future kisses. And thought that even if she got to kiss Yara everyday for the rest of her life she would still want more.

Yara parted them and looked lustily at Arya. "Have you ever wanted to give and receive at the same time?"

"Oooh, I have heard of that. I would try anything with you."

Yara smiled in a way that made Arya even wetter. She leaned in and kissed her and then repositioned herself. Yara's face was in front of Arya’s pussy and vice versa.

Yara was beautiful, everywhere, but especially there. Arya breathed her in and began to lick Yara. Yara moaned and began to lick Yara. It was incredibly intense. Arya felt overwhelmed, all her nerves were on fire. She greedily circled her tongue around Yara's clit, Yara moaned and Arya felt the vibrations in her pussy.

She felt so connected to Yara. The pleasure that surged through her surged in Yara too. Arya had never felt so at one with another person.

Too soon they were both calling out and convulsing. Arya lay back on the bed completely undone.

"Fuuuuuuck," Yara panted out. She turned herself around and flopped onto Arya’s chest.

"You… You have undone me, woman." Yara managed to get out. "

"Same," was all Arya could manage.

In awhile when both had caught their breath. Yara shifted to lie on her side face to face with Arya who shifted too.

"I love you so much that I can't even stand it, Arya Stark."

"I love you more, Yara Greyjoy."

"Such a competitive brat."

"Goober."

"Pip squeak."

And they fell asleep, both marvelling at how it felt to feel safe and sleep in a real bed.

**Epilogue - 8 months later**

Arya

Arya stretched her neck and rolled her shoulders. She looked out at the sea. There was no sign of any vessels. As soon as Noor got here to take her place her watch shift would be done and she could head back to the village. Yara was on fishing duty today so she would probably be home already.

Arya had started thinking of the cabin as home after only a few weeks.

Leela told Arya that there were far fewer refugees seeking out Free Island these days. She hoped that meant that Bran was doing a good job as King. Thinking about Westeros made Arya think of Sansa. She hoped her sister was doing well. She often wondered how things went in the North.

She and Yara had settled into life on Free Island. They loved their little cottage and soon picked tasks to help out the village. Yara had made some adjustments to the cottage and it was now quite beautiful. Arya had assumed that Leela was the ruler of the island but it turned out she was simply assigned the task of welcoming new arrivals that day. There was no ruler in Free Island. Decisions were made by consensus, which often resulted in some very long meetings. Those meetings often devolved into tears and then lots of processing of feelings. But no one ever fought to the death. No one murdered another villager to get what they had. No one ever talked about a Throne or their desire to possess it.

Arya was distracted from her thoughts by the arrival of Noor.

Noor raised a hand in greeting. "Arya! Your wife said to come straight home to see her. She has news for you."

"Will do! See you later!" Arya gathered her bow and arrows and headed down the path to the village.

Everyone called them wives. There hadn't been any kind of ceremony but neither she nor Yara corrected anyone who referred to the other as her wife. She had once asked Yara to promise not to propose to her. Yara hadn't, and yet, here they were. Arya had to admit she liked it exceedingly whenever she was called Yara’s wife.

Arya had worried for a time about Yara finding a more attractive woman on the island but despite some very fun mutual discussions about who was the hottest on the island, Yara had no interest in actually doing anything with the other women. Arya thought she detected some jealous looks from some of the women but then realized they gave Yara the same looks and gave those looks to all the other couples on the island. They were slightly jealous of the relationship not either of the participants.

Finding her way down the path she found she was rushing a bit. She wasn't sure if she was impatient to see Yara or hear her news. After all these months she still found her heart beating a bit faster when she saw Yara. The months of safety on the island, falling asleep satisfied from making love to Yara, waking up in Yara's arms, and coming home to Yara after her shifts on watch, training the children or in the kitchen: all of this deepened her love for Yara.

The star of her thoughts was standing in their doorway when she turned the corner that led to their cottage. Yara waved and smiled as soon as she saw her.

"Noor says you have news?" Arya asked as she arrived at the door. It was then she noticed the roll of paper in Yara's hand.

"She wrote back?!!" Arya was so excited.

"Yes!!!" Yara bubbled. "Esme found me when I got back from fishing! I promised her I wouldn't peak before you read it. The suspense has been killing me since then. I'm so glad you're home."

Arya made an offended face in jest. "Also, I am happy to see you my love!" Yara added.

Arya smiled and leaned up to kiss Yara as she took the scroll.

Opening it her heart fluttered to see her sister's handwriting.

_Dear Arya,_

_Thank you a million times for writing me! I was worried - though not on account of you. I know you can take care of yourself._

_What an adventure! Bri and I thrilled to read about the shipwrecks and pirates! (so rude of Yara to steal your signature move! But glad she got that horrible pirate!) And now you are on an island of hotties. I am so jealous._

_Speaking of Yara, get it girl!!! Bri and I are delighted that you've found someone who deserves you! And a very good looking someone at that! And talented. I have heard STORIES about her skills! Bri pretended to be jealous when I said that but she knows there's only room for one in my heart and that's her (romantic wise, anyway, there's always room for you, Snowy, and Ser Vagues-a-lot in the family part of my heart). Also, she's not lacking in the skills department, if you know what I mean. But back to you and Yara. I am so happy!! I wish I could see how happy you are in person. Perhaps one day Bri and I will make the long voyage to visit you on the island of eye candy!_

_Until that day, we will have to make do with ravens. Please write back right away because judging by the date on your letter, these little birds take forever and I can't wait to hear all your news!_

_Not much new here. Bri remains as brave, honourable, and gorgeous as always. Gah, Arya, she makes me so happy. She's so sweet and loving to me. Every morning I wake up in her arms and feel I have fallen even deeper in love with her. I have even warmed towards Podrick on account of Bri loving him like a younger brother. Bloody Podrick!_

_The North is pretty stable. Bran says things are stable at King's Landing too (well, really he said, "The wheel turns, we turn, but no ill wind blows." which I choose to interpret as "All's well, sis!") So things are good. It's Westeros so who knows if it will last but for now it is great._

_Oh, also on the subject of people who don't deserve you, I heard Gendry is engaged. She's from Dorn and is quite pretty but nothing but cotton stuffing in her head. She's quite famously dumb. So he'll probably be happy. Glad you dodged that bullet kiddo!_

_So much love to you from me! And from Brienne! And probably from Bran and Snowy too! I am seeing Snowy soon. Bri and I are taking a 'diplomatic' visit to beyond the wall. The line is strengthening the relationship between Winterfell and the Wildlings, but reality, we're meeting his new person for the first time. He said person, Arya. Do you think that means the person is a boy?? I am dying to know. I will report all once I meet this person! I will also report back about whether I have to challenge bloody Tormund to a duel if he persists in aggressively hitting on Bri. Not that my girl couldn't hold her own but she's far too polite to do that. On the other hand, I, dear sister, am not above bitch slapping that idiot giant if he makes my woman uncomfortable._

_Anyway Bri and I are sending all our love and blessings to you and Yara._

_Miss you so much!_

_Love and kisses,_

_Sansa_

Arya put down the letter, aware that she had a huge grin on her face.

"Sansa and Brienne are well?" Yara asked.

"Very well! And Jon has started dating someone. Sansa thinks it could be a boy. Bran is as vague as ever. It's all so wonderful!"

Arya gave Yara a big hug. "I am so glad that my sister is as happy as I am."

Yara hugged her back and stroked her hair.

"I missed you today Yar, I saw another one of those cliff rodents. They are so cute! You should ask for watch duty so you can see one!"

Yara chuckled. "Maybe we should go on a walk on the cliffs on our day off sometime? I missed you today too! So…. dinner isn't for an hour and a bit. So we have some time…."

Arya smiled and pulled Yara towards their bed. How good it feels, she thought, to make love to my wife, in our bed, in our home. It had taken her travels west of Westeros to truly find her place, to find a home, and now, with Yara at her side, she felt at peace.

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! The tone changes a bit in the subsequent chapters.


End file.
